The letter of Jude is one of the shortest epistles and books in the Bible. There are only 25 verses in the book and a little over 650 words in it, but in this short letter written by the church leader Jude, we can learn a lot about Godly leadership.
The letter of Jude was written concisely and directly to address a problem of false teachers arising in church communities. Anyone who has been in church leadership would know that dealing with such people can be one of the most difficult things to handle, and addressing such problems needs a lot of grace and wisdom.
Jude as a leader, just like any of the leaders of the early church, was one who was full of insight. Here are some valuable lessons we can learn from Jude from his short but complete epistle.
Act in humility | Jude 1 "Jude, a servant of Jesus Christ and a brother of James."
Not many know this, but scholars say that the Jude who wrote this epistle was probably the half-brother of Jesus. The first verse says He is the brother of James, and Matthew 13:55 records the names of Jesus's brothers as James and Judas (which is a longer form of the name "Jude").
But despite having blood relations with Jesus Himself, he referred to himself simply as a servant of Jesus Christ -- his own brother -- and brother of John. He didn't flaunt that He was related to the superstar of that time. Leaders can learn from this example of humility. It doesn't matter whom you know or who you're related to. Consider yourself lower than others.
Make spiritual growth your personal responsibility | Jude 20 "But you, dear friends, by building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit."
In a consumerist world where everyone keeps crying out "feed me" or "take care of me," Jude speaks directly in saying that believers must also be accountable for their own spiritual growth. As important as listening to preaching is, Jude -- through the revelation of the Holy Spirit -- urged the body to seek God in their personal lives.
Growing in God is our personal responsibility and if leaders want to be serious about their leadership roles, they will seek God intently and deliberately.
Stay in God's grace | Jude 21 "Keep yourselves in God's love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life."
More than anything, we need God's grace. Just because you're a leader it doesn't mean you won't need God's grace anymore. God brings intense trials in the lives of leaders and they are called to trust in Jesus and His finished work non-stop.
Our roles as leaders are not given to us because of our qualifications. It is a privilege freely given because Jesus has qualified us through His blood.
