Titus Connection Volume 20, Number 3 March 2026
WISE INTENTIONAL LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT
TITUS CONNECTION
Volume 20, Number 3 March 2026
Intentionally Developing Multigenerational Leaders
Throughout The World
Greetings. Last month we looked at a spiritual leadership paradox – Confidence versus Humility. This month a second paradox will be considered – Focused versus Flexible. Thoughts and ideas come from both Tim Elmore and Craig Groeschel. I trust you will be challenged by them. With the Youth Leaders’ article, a look at Paul and the religious stud he was. Enjoy. Thanks. Mike
Leadership Paradox – Focused vs. Flexible
Jesus is described as both God and man, the Lamb that was slain and the conquering Lion of Judah. This is a paradox, a statement, idea, or situation that seems to contradict itself, go against common sense, or be logically impossible, but is valid.
In spiritual leadership we have paradoxes. Previously we discussed being confident and humble at the same time. Now we consider being focused and flexible simultaneously.
Being focused allows you to overcome uncertainty, a lack of confidence or fear by seeing what others may not see. Problems are opportunities that come from a flexible perspective. Being focused does not allow you to put your head in the sand. A quality leader does not ignore problems.
Daniel and his three friends in Daniel 1:1-17 were facing the problem of following non-Hebrew food from the Babylonian king’s guidelines that went against Old Testament law. Shadrach, Meshach, Abednego, and Daniel chose not to ignore the problem, being focused and at the same time, were carefully flexible as they proposed an alternative plan to eunuch in charge of them.
They believed they were being faithful to God with the plan because God could easily solve the issue, and in this case, God did graciously bless this plan. They could have stayed focused and simply stated they would not eat the king’s food and quickly died as they would not compromise their moral stand. The four kept their moral stand.
At the same time, they had flexibility that an alternative plan could work, saving everyone’s heads. There was acknowledgement of a problem and with God’s help, that problem could be solved. Paul states that we should pray for spiritual wisdom and insight (Ephesians 1:16-18). When facing problems and issues, praying for spiritual wisdom and insight is a great time to do so.
Be firm on what you will not compromise on, your theology. Here we get a large range of convictions we stand upon. A question I use for myself is, “What am I willing to die for?” In traveling to various locations throughout the world, that is a focused question I must pose to myself. “Jesus is the one true God and He is the only way to heaven. It is only by the grace of God anyone is saved from their sins. Jesus died on the cross and bodily rose from the dead.” That I must not compromise.
Areas like what version of the Bible should we use, how many spiritual gifts there are and what ones are available today, end times viewpoints and many more theological points are hot topics. You and I must decide on what absolutes what we will not budge on and what ones, if you and I disagree, we can still have fellowship and minister together.
We must decide what we will be stubborn/focused about and be flexible on everything else. This is not letting your theology get in the way of your ministry. Do not confuse methods with mission, separating the purpose from methods.
Tim Elmore uses the illustration of drilling holes with the drill bits being used. The focus is drilling holes, not the size of the drill bit (method). He shares that we should avoid Pyrrhic victories – win a battle but lose the war because the battle won was won at a great cost. What is more important, the argument or the relationship? Why do I want to win?, is the real question to work through.
Being focused involves staying steadfast on the mission and relationships at hand but being flexible to being teachable and accepting other people’s ideas, pursuing the best idea that develops. Personally develop a growth mindset.
As we age, let us not close ourselves off from young people’s ideas and possibilities. If your goal is to make your ministry, your organization better, then you will be open enough (flexible) to incorporate the best ideas which usually do not come from yourself. We live in a constant state of change. Technology has changed so much.
Be tenacious and uncompromising in your convictions (focused) and at the same time, be teachable, adaptable and not one to miss opportunities (flexible). Ponder how God will use you for His glory.
Youth Ministry Illustration – Paul, a Religious Stud
Paul was a stud on the religious scene! Philippians 3:4-6, “I was circumcised when I was eight days old. I am a pure-blooded citizen of Israel and a member of the tribe of Benjamin—a real Hebrew if there ever was one! I was a member of the Pharisees, who demand the strictest obedience to the Jewish law. I was so zealous that I harshly persecuted the church. And as for righteousness, I obeyed the law without fault.” What a pedigree!
Paul’s father was a Pharisee and so Paul became a Pharisee. A Pharisee was a member of an ancient Jewish group or sect distinguished by strict observance of the traditional and written law. They were the Jews of Jews, a very prestigious status in Jewish culture.
Plus, Paul checked all the Jewish boxes. Circumcised on the 8th day, from the tribe of Benjamin (first king of Israel, Saul came from that tribe and only one of two tribes to return after the Jews were sent to Babylon as slaves). Not only that, Paul was a top-notch Pharisee as he trained under Gamaliel who was the ultimate Jewish teacher at that time. Young Jewish men were in the elite if you studied under Gamaliel.
Zealousness was the characteristic you used to describe Paul as he knew Jewish law and made it his business to persecute Christians and was a real enemy of God (Acts 7:57-58). He also came from a prominent city of that time, Tarsus, the chief capital of Cilicia, a river city with a great university. You could say Paul was near perfect in keeping the Law which made you Number One in the Jewish world (Acts 26:5).
But here after all these accolades, Paul had this to say, “I once thought these things were valuable, but now I consider them worthless because of what Christ has done. Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ and become one with him.
I no longer count on my own righteousness through obeying the law; rather, I become righteous through faith in Christ. For God’s way of making us right with himself depends on faith. I want to know Christ and experience the mighty power that raised him from the dead. I want to suffer with him, sharing in his death, so that one way or another I will experience the resurrection from the dead!”
Wait a minute. He had everything you wanted living at that time and in that culture. People moved out of the way when he walked by. Everyone recognized him and many young men emulated to be like someone like Paul (he was called Saul up to this point).
To Paul, all that people said about his Jewish pedigree was garbage to him! Everything he had done to the point of meeting Jesus face to face on the road to Damascus when Jesus knocked him off his horse, was worthless (Acts 9:1-6). He felt being able to suffer for Jesus was of greater importance than any of his educational and social feats or social status.
Paul was not ashamed of being called a believer in Jesus. In life his goal was to in every way he could, he wanted to get to know Jesus better and grow so deeply in his relationship with Jesus, he told people to follow his examples in life and they would be following Jesus (1 Corinthians 11:1)!
His ashamedness (Romans 1:14-17) for Jesus meant he was sold out for the Lord. He was willing to be offended for Him, not ashamed of the name of Jesus and what Jesus stands for, to live anyway Jesus led him, made the time to grow spiritually. Paul did not let family, career, leisure, money, reputation, relationships, comfort or himself get in the way of deepening his relationship with Jesus.
What do you want out of life? What Paul did in life before encountering Jesus was nothing. He felt that what was to his profit, was considered loss for the sake of Christ. The only thing that mattered was the suppressing greatness of knowing Jesus, the power of His resurrection and being a part of sharing in the sufferings of Jesus. Becoming like Him in His death and attain the resurrection of Jesus.
My relationship with Jesus needs to be top priority. Everything else was comparably nothing to this relationship. When we become one with Christ by trusting in Him, we experience the power that raised Jesus from the dead and that power helps us to live morally renewed and regenerated live. But first die to sin. Drink in Jesus and be obedient to what you know and watch yourself grow.