“Whatever your role is, whether that position is paid or as a volunteer, your identity should be in Christ and not in any particular role.”
Union University’s Student Leadership and Engagement held their third installment of Dine and Discuss, discussing the role of leadership in the body of Christ, last night, April 19, at 6 p.m. in Coburn 1.
The session started with Bo Mantooth, director for student leadership and engagement, welcoming students and informing them that night’s meeting was the last of the semester. He told students that there would be three sessions per semester, with various speakers from faculty, including Union President Dr. “Dub” Oliver, who would speak at each third session.
Oliver, the guest speaker, began the discussion by thanking students for attending and “engaging in dialogue about leadership.” He explained that his topic for that session was “how to not find your identity in your role.’ He admitted that, although he was able to lead the discussion, he as well struggled with finding importance in his role in leadership.
“Sometimes in my role, I feel so fulfilled,” Oliver said. He explained that ultimately, if we are putting all of our importance on the role that we have, it will never bring true happiness, because it will consistently fall short. If instead we place our identity and purpose in Christ and in what he has ordained for our lives, “our roles will be much richer, and fuller, and truer.”
He acknowledged that even he was prone to make an idol of work and encouraged the students that by being in God’s word daily was the way to overcome this.
“As I’m in God’s word, I understand who he is, and I understand who I am,” said Oliver. “Particularly that I am not him, and that my effectiveness in any role I have is only in my relationship with him.”
Oliver gave an example of where he realized he put harmful value in his leadership role. He was the interim Vice President of Student Relations at Baylor University. When someone had parked in his assigned spot, he got angry. He revealed that he was flawed in thinking so much of a parking spot, but that it was ultimately a sign that he thought too highly of his position. While still working at Baylor University, Oliver also learned the importance of not over-working.
“You have to have a pattern of work and rest,” said Oliver. “This is how you can assure you do not find your identity in your role.”
He further explained that it is a pattern of God’s creation for all people to work for six days and rest on the seventh day. Oliver revealed that this call to rest is literally embedded into the structure of the Logos Library. In the brick pattern, every second brick is pushed out, representing a day of rest.
Oliver then gave the students an analogy to help them understand the importance of Christ’s calling in their lives. When they find their calling through Christ, it will be fulfilling, like flying a kite on a windy day. Whereas, if they find their calling outside of Christ, it will be void of meaning, like flying a kite on a windless day.
He told the students to ground the discussion in Romans 12:2: “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to discern what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God.” Following this, Oliver described a Venn diagram with three circles: identity, influences, and impact.
The first circle, “identity,” focused on the idea of “who am I?”
The second circle, “influences,” focused on the idea of “who is it that you allow to shape your life?” There are three main influencers in a person’s life: upward influences (i.e. the voice of God, revelations from the Bible), external influences (i.e. parents, friends, celebrities, etc.) and internal influences (i.e. our own opinions and plans for our life).
The third circle “impact,” focused on the idea of “what difference are you going to make in the world?” Oliver explained that it is through our redemption in God that we can make a difference in the world.
After the Venn diagram was completed, Oliver named the part where the three circles intersected, “God’s call on your life.” This intersection grows as a person finds their purpose in Christ, and “God’s call on your life” grows until it becomes a part of everything they do.
Oliver concluded his discussion on leadership by reading a section from Richard Bolle’s book, “How To Find Your Mission in Life.” Bolle writes that there are three parts of a Christian’s mission here on earth. The first mission on earth, shared by all people, is “to seek, to stand, hour by hour in the conscious presence of God the one from who your mission is derived.” The second mission on earth follows the first, ‘to do what you can, moment by moment, day by day, step by step, to make this world a better place following the leading and guiding of the God’s spirit in you and around you.” Lastly, the third mission on earth is individually unique, “to exercise that talent which you particularly came to earth to use, your great gifts the ones you delight to use, in the places and settings which God has called you to appeal to you the most and for those purposes that God most needs done in the world.”