“Jonathan said to his young armor-bearer, ‘Come, let’s go over to the outpost of those uncircumcised men. Perhaps the Lord will act in our behalf. Nothing can hinder the Lord from saving, whether by many or by few.’ ‘Do all that you have in mind,’ his armor-bearer said. ‘Go ahead; I am with you heart and soul.’ Jonathan said, ‘Come on, then; we will cross over toward them and let them see us…” “Jonathan climbed up, using his hands and feet, with his armor-bearer right behind him. The Philistines fell before Jonathan, and his armor-bearer followed and killed behind him. In that first attack Jonathan and his armor-bearer killed some twenty men in an area of about half an acre.”
1 Samuel14:6-8, 13-14NIV
Over the few years that I have had the incredible honor to serve on the team at my local church, this particular passage has been a constant reminder about the type of spirit I want to carry. Often times when reading this passage, we have a tendency to look at Johnathan: his vision, his faith, and his boldness. We do this because many of you reading are incredible leaders in your own right. However, I propose to you that while Johnathan’s courage was commendable, it was actually the response of his armor-bearer that propelled Johnathan to do what was in his heart that day. His armor-bearer was a true carrier of a “heart & soul” spirit, and it instilled a confidence in Johnathan. There are few things that give a leader more confidence than feeling the “lean-in” from the people around you to the vision God has placed in you.
Throughout Bible college, I could not help but notice that many of the leadership materials used to promote growth in leadership development were focused as if one were a CEO, president, or senior pastor. They were focused on helping leaders, “create culture,” “cast vision,” and “motivate your team” as if they were at the head of the organization. These resources were directed towards the Johnathans of the world. However, the truth is that many of us in staff roles are actually not the CEO, not the president, and not senior pastor. Rather, we are simply another leader on the team that is serving a bigger vision than our own; we are armor-bearers.
A few years ago, I came across a book that changed my personal leadership as I continue serve in a subordinate role on my church staff. The book is called Leading from the Second Chair by Mike Bonem and Roger Patterson. This book raises awareness of the need for strong leaders in secondary and subordinate positions on a team. Statistically, most leaders will spend the majority of their leadership journey (if not all of it) as a second-chair leader. And that is okay! As a matter of fact, a second-chair leader is just as valuable and in many ways just as influential in an organization.
Regardless of the job title or role description—unless we are the senior pastor—we all have a great responsibility to carry a heart and soul spirit. God has given vision to our senior pastors, but in order for our leader and our church to be effective, our churches need leaders like you and me to take up the mantle and the spirit of the armor-bearer. Like Johnathan’s armor-bearer, when we decide to follow better, it brings out the best in the leaders we are called to serve. When we grow to be better second-chair leaders, it puts wind in the sails of our leader and propels the organization forward. In this excerpt from scripture, there are many observations that can be made. However, I’d like to point out two things that can transform the climate of your team.
As an executive on our team, I’ve come to the understanding that I carry a tremendous amount of influence with other co-workers. People notice the way I respond and react in meetings. They notice the way I carry the vision and culture set by our leader. I am confident that you carry the same influence in your respective roles. The more influence we have, the more critical it is that we model what it looks like to follow well. The way we follow can change the climate of our team as a whole. We set the standard of what it looks like to back up our leader with our heart and soul.
In this excerpt from scripture, there are many leadership observations that can be made. However, I want to share two that I am constantly evaluating and measuring in my own spirit. A person who carries a heart and soul spirit is a person that is fits the two following criteria…
1. Radically Faith-Filled
In verses 6-8 when Johnathan proposed a wild vision, the armor-bearer radically met it with a faith-filled response, “Do all that you have in mind… Go ahead; I am with you heart and soul.” Johnathan gave no guarantee that they would be victorious. He did not even have sure confidence that God would be with them. But that didn’t matter for this armor-bearer. He was full of faith. He approached Johnathan’s vision with a ride-or-die mentality. Whatever God had put in Johnathan’s heart, the armor-bearer had radical faith for it.
Following well often times requires radical faith. More often than not, God speaks vision and direction to leaders that will stretch the faith of a team or organization uncomfortably. Sometimes the vision might seem wild or even reckless. But I have to remember that when I stand before God, I will not be judged on behalf of my leader’s vision, but by the way I followed and served my leader’s vision. Even though it can be tempting to respond to a leader’s vision with a critical spirit that points out all the holes or pitfalls of a plan, it is critical to respond with radical faith. There is nothing that sucks the wind out of a leader than when attempting to lead a team of people who are critical and dragging their feet. On the other hand, when we respond to our leaders with radical faith, it puts wind in the sails of the vision and propels it forward.
I am constantly monitoring the way I respond to my lead pastor in one-on-one meetings, all-staff meetings, and in any context of which he is leading. What is my body language like? Am I meeting his vision with a faith-filled posture? Am I empowering him to go after the task that God has set before our church? Do I respond with a “whatever-it-takes” attitude? I invite you examine the way you respond to your leader and challenge yourself to come up higher as a carrier of a heart and soul spirit.
2. Boldly Responsive
In verse 13, we see that Johnathan “scrambles up the hill on all-fours.” I love the way The Message paraphrase describes the proximity and responsiveness of the armor-bearer, “…his armor-bearer was on his heals.” The armor bearer was quickly and boldly responsive to the action of his leader — so responsive that there was no space between him and Johnathan. He was on his heals. Johnathan most-likely heard the footsteps and felt the physical presence of his armor-bearer at his back.
Bold responsiveness draws the best out of our leaders because it allows them to focus on the mission rather than wondering if we are with them or not. I want to be responsive to vision, responsive to correction, responsive to new ideas, responsive in collaboration. I never want my leader to wonder where I stand with the direction he is taking our church or our team. For me, I prioritize answering my phone when my senior pastor calls, responding to his texts or emails no later than 24 hours after he’s sent them. And I use body language when he is speaking, preaching, or even in conversation that shows him that I am leaning in to what he is saying. These are practical ways that we can show our leader that we are with them so that they can focus on the mission God has put in front of the organization.
Can you imagine the culture and climate of your team if everyone started carrying this spirit of an armor-bearer? It all starts with us as second-chair leaders. We can be the ones that change the temperature of a staff meeting. We can be the ones who put wind in the sails for our leaders. It is a beautiful cycle! The way we follow empowers our leader to lead better. And when the leader get’s better, we all get better. My prayer for all of us is that we would come up higher in the way that we follow, and that our leaders and churches would reap the benefits.
Landon Morrow
Executive Pastor // CrossWalk Church