Is There a Joshua You Need to Commission?

Pass the baton. You know this principle. 2 Timothy 2:2 says it so clearly. Paul discipled Timothy, Timothy entrusted the teaching to faithful men. They passed it on to others also. Leaders who hold on to authority may grow powerful. The scope of their ministry will be limited though. It can not grow beyond them. If you want to see your ministry become fruitful, learn to identify and empower others.

Its not easy. These leaders usually don’t seem ready. We see their many flaws. It’s easy to wonder if they can handle the weight of responsibility. Do they have the necessary skills and commitment to lead?

Moses Obeyed God

Moses faced these same questions I’m sure. God told him to commission his aide Joshua. Moses would not lead the people to inherit the Promised Land. Joshua would.

What if Moses had held on to authority? What if he had second-guessed the situation? Joshua had served and been with Moses for a long time. I’m sure he knew his faults.

Obeying God, Moses chose to commission Joshua. He encouraged and strengthened the younger leader. Moses’ willingness to let go of power paved the way for Israel to receive God’s Promised Land.

Mark’s Story*

He was young and unproven. His background was colorful. Though well educated, he’d struggled with drugs and alcohol in his teen years. When I first met Mark, I wasn’t sure about him. He was passionate about mobilizing his people group into missions and came with some great new ideas though.

Pulling him in, I invited him to join my team in hosting a big event. As we worked together, I saw his growing commitment to the Lord’s work. We sat and drank tea after a long day and he shared his dreams with me. I listened and encouraged, also observing his actions.

He had worked under other leaders. They appreciated his talents but had used him to develop their own ministries. Mark had never had a leader who encouraged him in his own dreams and ideas.

After the event finished, I invited him to join me as my personal assistant. We worked together more closely. I mentored him and spoke more deeply into his life. Inner healing issues surfaced. My husband and I prayed with him for freedom. He soon became a vital part of what we were endeavoring to do in the ministry.

The day came when Mark began to share with me about his vision for another nation. It was burning in his heart. I faced a choice. Would I release and encourage him? That meant I would lose his help for my own vision. It was not an easy choice!

I knew that if I gave away and released rather than holding on to power and people, I’d ultimately see greater fruit. If God was putting this in his heart, my role was to help him develop and step into his vision. As an elder and leader, I was to train and release, not control.

Encouraging him to pursue this passion in his heart, we spoke about an exploratory trip to the nation he was dreaming about going to one day. Pulling money from my own ministry funds, I gave him seed money to begin to pursue this.

Today he serves in that nation. God is using Mark to train and raise up many others who have come to Christ there. I’m so glad I didn’t hold on to him but helped him pursue the dreams of God in his heart!

“But commission Joshua, and encourage and strengthen him, for he will lead this people across and will cause them to inherit the land that you will see.”

Deuteronomy 3:28 NIV.

3 Things Leaders Need to Do

1) Commission

Sometimes as leaders we have the opportunity to formally commission someone. We lay hands on them and pray as we see the elders did to Barnabas and Paul in Acts chapter thirteen. This has great value and is biblical to do.

There are many other ways we can “commission” younger leaders as well. Giving a title or role is a way of commissioning. Do you have a young person with a heart for social media evangelism? Give them the title “Social Media Evangelism Coordinator.” Lay hands on them, pray, and tell them to go for it!

The blessing of an elder to pursue something new makes a huge difference in a young person’s life.

Or maybe someone has a passion for prayer. Call them the “Prayer Team Development Leader.” Find creative ways to commission and release younger people into their God-given ideas.

2) Encourage

After you’ve commissioned by laying on of hands or giving some kind of a title, your work is not done. They still need you to walk with them. Meet with them often. Ask how things are going. Sit with them and coach them into developing plans and action steps. Affirm their efforts with generous praise. Be there when they fail to troubleshoot problems and encourage them to try again.

3) Strengthen

One of the greatest ways we strengthen younger leaders is by praying for them. Share prophetic words or scriptures God gives you for them. Show up at their events or meetings to lend your support. Often your presence alone is enough to give them hope and courage. Endorse what they are doing and speak blessing over them publicly. (Always correct privately.)

The Cost of Holding On

Hundreds of ministries have fallen apart because older leaders refused to let go. They pioneered God-given vision. Great sacrifices were made as they were led by God to establish ministries. The greater the investment you have made to birth something, the harder it is to trust a younger leader to carry it forward. Yet failure to release and trust younger people working under you will ultimately destroy your ministry.

Start early. Get in the habit of trusting and empowering young leaders who have potential. If this becomes a normal practice in the way you function as a leader, it will be much easier when the time is right to relinquish control. That time will likely be sooner than you think it is. This practice will cause your ministry to grow beyond your own capacity…to multiply.

Don’t be a leader who struggles to let go. Be a releaser, someone who commissions, encourages, and strengthens others.

Find Someone This Week

Who could you commission, encourage, and strengthen this week? Whether this is a formal laying on of hands in a public way, or simply a few words of blessing saying “Go for it!”, find someone you can release and give away some of your authority and influence to.

I’d love to hear about how you do this. Comment below or share on the Missionary Life Facebook group.

*name changed for his protection.