Lead by the Name: A Lived-Out Kind of Leadership

Leading by the Name — I mean the name above every name, Jesus Christ — isn’t about a bunch of rituals, but about living in relationship with HIM. Leaders who want to lead by HIM should not step into that religious world of rituals, but plunge into a deep relationship with HIM.

The book of Deuteronomy was written with the goal of enjoying prosperity and remaining in the promised land, encouraging love for God through obedience to His will, according to the covenant. This book teaches us how we should live a life of deep relationship with God, not because of rituals, but because of relationship with God. Chapter 6, verses 4-7, helps us understand that this relationship must be a way of life, not a ritual.

Verse 4 begins by teaching us who the Lord is. Maybe when reading that question, the first answer is: OF COURSE God is Lord of my life. But let’s look deeply into our lives as leaders: are all the decisions I make for His glory or for my own glory? Then He “hits the nail on the head” in verse 5, explaining what it means to love the Lord with all our heart, all our soul, and all our strength. Verse 6 teaches us that the commandments must be in our hearts. He continues teaching us in verse 7, saying that this is a way of life, not a ritual, using verbs like sitting, walking, lying down, and getting up. A way of life, not a ritual!

When we, as leaders, look at Deuteronomy 6 and see the principle of living it out, it brings us to a place of complete dependence on HIM, Jesus Christ; only through Him can we be better leaders. That is what Lead by the Name means. Jesus Christ is the only One who lived here and did everything according to God’s will. Therefore, He is the only One we should imitate.

May Jesus be the model for the way we live, and not just another ritual in our lives!