Each of us leads in some way.  All Christians lead by the example of their lives.  Some lead by the boldness of their faith, others by the wisdom of their words.  A few serve in biblical leadership roles in the church.  Whatever the way, each of us should be willing to say, "Follow me, as I follow Christ" (I Corinthians 11:1).

Also, each of us should be able to say, "I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me" (Galatians 2:20).  The effectiveness of our spiritual leadership depends on our Christ-likeness.  I Peter 1:4-8 invites us to "participate in the divine nature" by growing in godly virtues.  It further promises, "If you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive" (vs 8). 

Remember, a person cannot lead someone else to a place where he or she has not personally been.  Therefore, we are embarking on a year of emphasis on spiritual attributes that will help us deepen our walk with Christ.  The goal then is for each of us to become a shepherd or mentor to lead someone else spiritually.  Then we will be a force for eternal good.

Our approach will be to present a quarterly emphasis on an attribute of God.  We will examine monthly themes related to each attribute of God, showing what they require of our lives.  Here is our first quarter based on I Peter 1:16, "Be holy, because I am holy."