Captain Pamela Shiridzinodya
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thank God for calling me to ministry and spiritual leadership. In my officership I have served in a number of different appointments including urban and rural corps, at the college for officer training and at territorial headquarters. Through these appointments I have come to understand that wherever I serve God I need to be a good leader. The Book of Daniel contains helpful information about leadership which is relevant for us today. Daniel 1:4-19 highlights leadership qualities that King Nebuchadnezzar was looking for from Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego.
What are these qualities that God is looking for? Prayer warrior – Daniel and his friends were prayer warriors. He prayed three times a day and had a disciplined prayer life. Our prayers are usually interrupted, not by threats, as was the case with Daniel, but simply by the pressure of our work schedules. We should take our inspiration from Daniel and maintain habitual, private, sincere prayer no matter what the situation or circumstance, for prayer is our lifeline to God (Daniel 6:10). Aptitude for learning – these men were educated, well-informed, quick to understand and qualified to serve in the king’s palace (Daniel 1:4). God wants Christian leaders to be equipped and knowledgeable for his service. Wise – Daniel and his friends showed wisdom and consequently were able to achieve the desired results. We must be women of wisdom and use God’s given skill for us to achieve more for his Kingdom (Daniel 1:8-14).
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equipped for leadership. We need to be open to learning so that we continue to acquire new skills and knowledge. Furthermore, be open to the teaching of the Holy Spirit through God’s Word so that we reach our full potential as spiritual leaders. Submissive – these men became team players, working and praying together. As spiritual leaders, are we supporters or team players in our ministry? We must be submissive to the authority of Jesus Christ.
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Relational – our relationships with those we lead matter most. We must learn to be with our people in spite of position or authority. God says, ‘By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another’ (John 13:35). We must be women for the people, showing the love of Christ. Excellence – these were men of excellence. This is important in our leadership. We should be women who aim to give and do our best for the Lord. Daniel and his friends learned all they could about their new culture so they could do their work with excellence. While they learned from the Babylonians, they maintained steadfast allegiance to God, and God gave them skill and wisdom. We must be competent and we are required to pledge our allegiance to God first. Leadership is the ability to influence others for better – not to discourage them. Good leadership requires using these qualities so that those for whom we are responsible grow in their spiritual lives, and we bring glory and honour to God.
Servant heart – they served in the king’s palace. Our leadership is to be one of a servant heart. We are called to seek and serve the lost, not to be served (Daniel 6:20). Teachable – Daniel was trained for three years to serve the king. He was taught the Babylonian language and literature so that he would be well
Pamela Shiridzinodya Private Secretary to the Territorial Commander/Chief Secretary and Territorial President of Women’s Ministries, Zambia Territory
Revive 19