Day 9: A Leader for Christ

I never really thought of myself as a leader. I just did not have that bold, out-front, in-your-face personality that I associated with leadership. I was more of a laid-back, wait-on-instructions, and follow orders kind of guy. Then, I encountered 1 Timothy 4:12:

Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity.

I felt like God was speaking directly to me and challenging me to destroy the false dichotomy that was preventing me from embracing my identity as a leader for Christ.

This scripture awakened me to the truth that leadership is not confined to a particular activity, personality, or position. Instead, leadership is about influence, which is both an intentional and unintentional consequence of life. I now think of all of life as leadership. The question is not am I a leader, but what kind of leader am I being right now?

I was a student at Point University when I first had this realization. I didn’t like it because I simply wanted to live my life. I didn’t sign up to be responsible for anyone else’s actions or to be a positive example. However, I Timothy 4:12 kept popping up; it demanded my attention. As I embraced it, I realized the incredible opportunity God was placing before me to bring hope, healing, and positivity to every environment I found myself in. I realized that instead of complaining or wishing that things were different, I could just be: be an example.

What kind of leader are you going to be today?

Written by Wesley Boldon ’06


Upon graduation, Wesley went to Columbia Theological Seminary in Decatur, GA, where he earned a Master of Divinity degree. He then answered God’s call to lead First Christian Church in Milledgeville, GA where he served as lead minister. Desiring to further his academic studies, Wesley continued his education at Princeton Theological Seminary in Princeton, NJ, where he earned a Master of Theology degree. During his time in New Jersey, he had the opportunity to travel the North East and minister to Ivy League students from Princeton University, Harvard University, and Columbia University as he served as a Ministry Director for Christian Union at Princeton. In November of 2012, Wesley and his wife, Kim, returned to Atlanta to plant Tri-Cities Church. They currently reside in East Point, GA where he serves as lead planter and teaching pastor of Tri-Cities Church.