Pacesetters

As Christian leaders, we are told to be pacesetters in character, behavior and faith. The golden standard to follow is not to rule by decree but rather by momentum. Day in and day out, we transform to be better than the old self that was left behind once we became followers of Christ. Being a Christian is not easy. I am one and often fall short but thank goodness, God’s mercy is new every morning and He gives me the opportunity to do better.

In government, pacesetters can be referred to as pioneering agencies, policy making bodies or simply those public servants that set the national standards used to drive institutional reform. Their roles serve as a model that will impact other public servants or agencies towards institutional integrity.

The Bible, however, does not use the modern phrase “pacesetter” but it is filled with the concept of it. In scripture, a pacesetter is someone who leads by distinct example, by setting the moral or spiritual rhythm for a community while carrying the weight of moving others out of complacency.

Scripture is deeply concerned with how influence is wielded because in the biblical worldview, influence is never neutral. It is an accelerant. When a person is given power, authority or a platform, their personal virtues or vices are magnified across the entire community. Just like oxygen to a fire, while oxygen in itself is not flammable, it acts as an essential oxidizing agent that sustains combustion. The more oxygen molecules that are produced, the faster the combustion reaction will occur, thus accelerating the heat release rate, making the fire bigger and more destructive.

Likewise in scripture, God’s concern with influence boils down to three structural realities – the vulnerability of the led, the absolute accountability of the leader and the cultural contagion of a leader’s choices.

Heavy, isn’t it? But then again, the Bible is the only way to know the truth. Human history is a long line of leaders using influence to dominate others, but Jesus completely upended the definition of power. He introduced a model where influence is measured by downward mobility and service. Scripture teaches us all throughout how influence is wielded because power ultimately reveals what is in our hearts. True biblical influence is never about taking up space at the top; it is about widening the foundation at the bottom so that others can stand securely.

People naturally mimic power, whether they are aware of it or not. The flaws of leaders can speed up the people’s moral decay because this implicitly gives them reason to accept low standards as normal. Take, for example, the story of King Jeroboam. His story serves as a reminder of how putting power above obedience is devastatingly costly. Jeroboam was crippled by fear. He was afraid that his citizens might return to Rehoboam if they continued traveling south to Jerusalem to worship at the temple. Therefore, to prevent this from happening, he made two golden calves for the people to worship – political convenience, so to speak, and because of his choice, he created a devastating flight path, a total destruction of Jeroboam’s lineage and of his dynasty.

On the other hand, when the young King Josiah discovered the forgotten book of the law, his immediate response was to repent and chose to follow God’s commands. He tore down the pagan idols, broke the generational curses and accelerated society toward healing and enlightenment.

The dangerous illusion that covers a multitude of leaders is the idea that power will enable them to change things once they get to the top. The bitter truth is, power only accelerates a character defect because influence will only multiply what you bring to the table. If a leader therefore has not disciplined their heart in secret, the platform will simply accelerate their public undoing. It is just a matter of time.

John the Baptist was the quintessential pacesetter in the most traditional sense of the word – he was the runner sent ahead to clear the path and establish the momentum for the King. But a true pacesetter knows when to pass the baton and that was what John did when Jesus arrived. John the Baptist understood his calling. He knew that a true pacesetter’s success is not measured by how many people stay with them, but by how successfully they hand over the momentum to the one who comes next. Pacesetters are models who carry a heavy burden of mirroring a model – premised, motivated and grounded in love. The greatest temptation for any pacesetter is the hoarding of power. When you are the most influential person in the room, human nature demands that you protect your crown, but biblical pacesetters mirrored Christ’s unique model of power: they used their momentum to elevate others, not themselves.

To be a true model requires a rare and disciplined approach. True pacesetting is never an individual sprint. Pacesetting is an act of structural strength measured by the depth of the stride we model. It is a Christ-like stride. Becoming a good leader in the eyes of God requires a radical shift in how we view power. Even in this modern age, we must use our influence to clear the path and live in a way where you can say “follow my footsteps” because in the end, character will ultimately be far more persuasive than your rhetoric.

It’s time to clear the way.