Meditations for Leaders in the Making (Validation)

". . . . many believed in His name when they saw the miracles which He did. But Jesus did not commit himself unto them, because He knew all men. And needed not that any should testify of man: for He knew what was in man." - John 2:23b-25

A danger to our effectiveness as Leaders is to look for validation from men.

In the above scriptures, many believed on Jesus because of the miracles He did. But Jesus did not commit or entrust Himself to their validation of who He was because He knew the fickleness of man. Such as the seventy who became His disciples after witnessing His miracles and later, disassociated themselves from Him when He said, "he that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him." However, their rejection of Him did not change the fact that He was, and still is the Son of God and that He was sent by God to give His life that we might have eternal life.

When the Pharisees declared Him not to be the Son of God because He lacked validation from two witnesses, Jesus told them they erred because their judgment was based on flesh; what they thought, what their colleagues thought, what the town people of Nazareth thought, perhaps what His own brothers and sisters thought. The validation of who He is was not determined by man. His validation was of the Spirit, and since Jesus is God, He is His first witness, and His second witness was God the Father for it was the Father who sent Him. Proof that the Father sent Him is the power and authority He exhibited over sin, sickness, death, the elements, and all the works of the devil.

As LEADERS IN THE MAKING, our validation of sonship and ministry is not based on the testimony of men either. Not our parents, siblings, co-workers, not even our pastors or other Christian leaders can validate whether or not we are called of God. Our validation is based on the testimony of God. Romans 8:16 says that the "Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit that we are the children of God." The Holy Spirit, is witness number one. Jesus is our second witness for as the Father sent Him, He has sent us and have given us the ministry of reconciliation (John 17:18: 2 Cor. 5:19-20). And the proof that He has sent us is the manifestation of His power in our life over sin and all the works of the devil.