Do all the things about being a disciple of Jesus or all of the teachings on being a good military man or woman overwhelm you? Is taking in all the information like drinking from a fire hydrant? It is important to summarize teaching s and training into broad categories in order to grasp the big picture. The Army has done it with their leadership framework; let’s apply the same discipleship. By doing so we may be able to get a grasp of the big picture.
The Army sums up it’s leadership philosophy in “Be, Know, Do.” It makes up the Army’s Leadership Framework. “BE, KNOW, DO clearly and concisely state the characteristics of an Army leader” (The U.S. Army Leadership Field Manual, page 7). This framework can also describe the framework of a disciple. Let me summarize the 7 Character Qualities within this framework.
1. Supreme and Incomparable love for Jesus – BE
2. A Regular Study of God’s Word – KNOW
Middle 3 CQ’s are a key ingredient we will look at later.
6. Manage Yourself and Your Possessions as Owned by God – DO
7. Love Others – DO
BE – our identity is rooted in who you are in Christ. You are a child of God. Your relationship with Christ is the core of who you are. Everything else is defined by that relationship. Who you are and your character are centered and rooted in your relationship to Christ.
KNOW – As a disciple, the Word of God is training you for every good work. It trains your senses to know good and evil. The word of God let’s us know who God is, who we are, and what we are to do.
DO – As a disciple we are to manage ourselves and others as God would have it. He owns all we are and all our stuff, so we use it as good steward of God’s stuff. Our actions to others is defined by God’s desires. He loved us, therefore we love others. Our actions to others are centered in love, the desire for the best in the lives of others.
What about CQ’s 3,4,and 5? These three character qualities are where we make the daily decision to Be, Know, and Do. This is where we wrestle with our character; who we really are on the inside. This is an act of the will. Where we determine in our hearts what we are all about.
3. Deny Yourself as the Authority and Focus of One’s Own Life
4. Submit to the Will of God in My Life
5. In Allegiance, Follow Christ
These 3 CQ’s take us from BEING and KNOWING to DOING. Here is the progression:
- We decide our identity will Be a child of God and place Him as our utmost priority.
- We get to Know God and what He wants us to do.
- We then make a decision of the will to deny our interests and follow what we know are His interests.
- We Do what God wants us to do with ourselves and possessions and we serve others in love.
Lord, may my being a child of God and my knowing the Word of God translate into doing Your will.
