Listen, learn, love: the process of transformational leadership
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ChatGPTHave you noticed that God often does His most significant work through people who appear briefly and unannounced?
The Bible is full of individuals who step into a moment of obedience and then fade from view—yet their faithfulness leaves an eternal mark. One such person is Ananias of Damascus.
Ananias appears in just one short passage of Scripture (Acts 9:10-19). He does not seek influence or recognition. He simply listens to God, obeys Him, and disappears again.
And yet his obedience becomes a turning point in the life of Saul—later the apostle Paul—and, through him, the global Church.
Acts introduces Ananias simply as a believer in Damascus to whom the Lord spoke in a vision. That description tells us everything we need to know. He belonged to Jesus, and he heard His voice.
From this short story, we can learn three important things about being a follower of Jesus.
#1 Ananias had a posture of availability because he was listening to God.
When the Lord speaks, Ananias responds, "Yes, Lord." His life is marked by availability. A transformed life always begins here.
Before God calls us to act, He calls us to listen—to His Word, His Spirit, and His leading rather than the noise and fear of the world.
#2 Ananias was open to accept instruction because he was ready to learn from God.
God's instruction to Ananias is not easy. He is sent to Saul, a man known for persecuting believers. Ananias responds honestly: "But Lord…" These words are not rebellion; they show his intimate relationship with God.
Like Abraham, Moses, Mary, and others, Ananias asks questions because he desires to understand God's ways. The incredible thing is that God patiently answers, revealing that Saul is His chosen instrument.
#3 Ananias was willing to act to demonstrate the love of God.
Then Ananias goes to Saul. He enters the house. He lays hands on Saul. And he speaks two remarkable words: "Brother Saul."
In that moment, Ananias does more than obey an instruction—he demonstrates the love of Christ. He does not define Saul by his past, but by God's redemptive purpose.
Saul is healed, filled with the Holy Spirit, and baptised. Ananias then fades from the story, but his obedience echoes through everything that follows.
What an incredible example of being a faithful follower of Christ. This begs three questions if you are to follow the example of Ananias as a transformational leader:
- Do you have a posture of availability that enables you to listen to God's voice?
- Are you willing to accept instruction because you want to learn from God?
- And will you act in faithful obedience to demonstrate the love of God to others?
Listen, Learn, Love—three keys to living the kind of life that demonstrates we have been transformed by the Spirit of Christ.
Romans 12:2—"Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will."
 | Dr. Tim Tucker is the Africa Development Director on the global leadership team of The Message Trust. He has a PhD in Practical Theology from North-West University (South Africa) and has written four books, including Grab a Towel: Christ-centered Servant Leadership for the 21st Century (Message Books 2018), Grief and Grace: Facing the Future I Didn’t Choose (Message Books 2019), and The Pace Setter: Paul, Timothy and the Art of Multiplying Leaders(Message Books 2014). Learn More » |
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