call it out
“Leadership is affirming people’s worth and potential so clearly that they are inspired to see it in themselves.”
Stephen R. Covey
“For this reason, I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands.”
2 Timothy 1:6
When I was 14 years old, I worked part-time on a clean-up crew at a butcher shop in Adelaide, Australia. It was my first job, and I worked at it wholeheartedly. I would come in at the end of the day when most of the work was done and power wash saws and machines, and hang meat hooks to be ready for the next day's work. It wasn’t very glamorous, but I loved it. The joy of earning my own money was something I relished, and there was a real sense of joy and accomplishment.
One day my boss, a man most of us were intimidated by, called me into his office. My mind was racing as to what I could have done wrong. The meeting didn’t go as I expected.
“Do you know I called you here?” he asked.
“I don’t,” I replied.
“Well, I called you here to tell you that you’re a leader.”
I wasn’t quite sure what he meant.
“A leader?” I asked.“Yeah, a leader. Has anyone ever told you that before?”
“No, I replied.”
He went on...
“I’ve noticed that when you work, and when you talk with some of the other guys, they tend to listen to you and follow you. I’m going to put a couple of the other clean-up crew under you for you to help manage and train them.”
At age 14, that single conversation radically changed my self-perception and life.
In many ways, it was a pivotal moment for my destiny. I remember riding home, sensing that something had been unlocked in me that had been longing for expression. From that day on, I have thought about, read about, and learned about leadership as a central part of my call, and it all happened because a boss noticed the gifts of one of the lowest employees he had in a meat factory in Australia.
I wonder how many younger folks around us are just waiting for their gifts to be recognized, valued, and called out of them?
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Timothy was a spiritual son to the Apostle Paul, unlike any other he had. When he met him, he saw potential, and he called it out. He saw in Timothy a young man with deep roots in the Scriptures, a good reputation among believers, a cross-cultural background (Jewish and Greek), and a heart ready to sacrifice for Christ. (Circumcision to join the team was a real commitment ☺.)
When Timothy was struggling with the complexities of pastoring in Ephesus, what did Paul do? He called out Timothy's gifts.
Look at 1 Timothy 1:18: “Timothy, my son, I am giving you this command in keeping with the prophecies once made about you, so that by recalling them you may fight the battle well.”
Paul calls out the prophetic words spoken over Timothy.
Paul calls out the gifts that were being neglected because of leadership pressure.
Paul wanted to see his potential enflamed and emboldened for the gospel in Ephesus.
What a beautiful example of a spiritual father we can all emulate.
Most people in the world are worried about building themselves; true leaders are worried about building others.
As Jack Welsh noted, “Before you are a leader, success is all about growing yourself. When you become a leader, success is all about growing others.”
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This past week, I preached at the New Room Conference in Alabama and had a glorious time. New Room is a passionate, hungry remnant contending for revival in the Wesleyan tradition. As a response to my sermon, I had a moment of doing an old school call to ministry. We created space to let Gen Z folks who sensed God calling them into ministry to come forward to the stage. In front of a room of a couple of thousand people, a group of young leaders came forward to say yes to serving Jesus with the whole of their lives.
Then, something beautiful happened. Spontaneously, the older generations gave them a standing ovation. Clapping and cheering, there was an awareness that the future of their movement was standing before them. As we were praying over them, I couldn’t help but think of who these leaders would become and what God would do in and through them as they picked up the mantle and stepped forward in faith. I couldn’t help but think of how many other young leaders need to be given space to have what’s in them called out of them.
Who around you needs a voice of affirmation to call things out?
The Father called out Jesus' belovedness from heaven, and the world has never been the same. Jesus called out greatness in His disciples, small and outcast men who never believed anything would come from their lives. And the Spirit calls to us, promoting and guiding us into the fullness of what God has for us.
So, where can we begin?
I have a mate named Ben Pilgreen who is the Lead Pastor at Epic Church in SF.He wrote a very strong book called Bring it Out. If you are looking for a simple way to see the good in others and help bring it into the world, I recommend it. Hundreds of people have had what’s in them brought out of them because of his vision to unleash the destiny of others.
The church is at its best when it's bringing out the gifts, talents, and passions of its people.
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Johann Wolfgang von Goethe wrote, “If we treat people as they are, we make them worse. If we treat people as they ought to be, we help them become what they are capable of becoming.”
I believe this generation is capable of more than managing anxiety, struggling with social media addiction, and being confused by secular ideology. I believe they can lead, inspire, and build the future we are longing for. But it won't happen by accident. It will happen when men like you and me believe in them and call out the goodness of God that’s waiting to be unlocked.
I can’t wait to see what comes out of the next generation because you help call it out.
Here to bring out the best in others alongside you.
Cheers.
Jon.
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Discussion Questions:
Who first called out something in you that gave you confidence or direction, and how did it shape your life? Why not send them a message this week and let them know how it shaped you?
What prophetic words, affirmations, or encouragements spoken over your life do you need to recall in order to fight well right now?
What’s one gift, talent, or calling you’ve neglected because of fear, busyness, or pressure, and how will you fan it into flame again?
Who has God placed around you that could be your “Timothy”? What’s stopping you from encouraging and equipping them?
What step can you take to call out the gifts you see in a younger leader this week?