The Trinity is man’s feeble effort to define the attributes of God. The Bible points to the fact that the Trinity refers to the triune personalities of God. If you look to the early Church Fathers, the Trinity was an issue that they spent a lot of time trying to wrap their minds around. It is still true today. We must develop a clear theology of the Trinity and be able to articulate it well, if we are going to communicate this major tenant of our faith with those who are seeking to join mankind’s conversation with the God who created them. We hold to the substance of the Trinity, but have no clue how to articulate it. God did not give us much information on how God can be three and one, but I think that the more we get to know Him and really follow Him it will become clearer. For example, I knew my role as a son as I was growing up. I dreamed one day of being a husband and a father. I knew that I would reach that goal one day, and believed I could be all three (Son, father, and husband), but until I became intimately involved in each of those areas I really did not understand those roles. It is the same with God. The more we understand the role of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit; the better equipped we will be to articulate the Trinity.
The Trinity has been evident from the beginning of time. Creation is a perfect example of the Trinity working together to accomplish God’s overall purpose. In Genesis 1:2 we see that the earth was formless and darkness covered the deep waters, and the Spirit of God hovered over the waters. The Holy Spirit played an active role in the creation account. A little further in Genesis 1 we get a glimpse of a conversation between all members of the Trinity as they discussed creating man. In Genesis 1:26, we see the God Head conferring with the other two members of the Trinity as they decide to make man “in or image”. Jesus also played a vital role in creation. In John 1:3, we see that God created everything “through Christ”. Jesus was the agent of Creation. That is why it is so profound that the very person who played the most active role in Creation came back to give Hi life to redeem the very thing He created. The Trinity is one of the basic foundations of the Christian Faith, but aloe the most misunderstood. When we look at it against the backdrop of the entirety of Scripture, we can see that each member of the Trinity has a unique role in the Great, Grand Story of God.
As it relates to leadership, I see the Holy Spirit as the unifying factor within the Trinity. What I mean by that is can be explained by the analogy of a person. God is the head. All things originate from the head and thus communicates those things to the body. The body represents Christ. Christ is the active part of the Trinity that executes the head’s will. The Holy Spirit is like the blood that flows through the body unifying the Trinity into one unified being. The Holy Spirit’s role is to help conform us to the image of Christ. This is how I believe the church should work. The trinity is a perfect picture of the church. God is the head and all instruction comes from Him. Christ is represented in the body of believers that are the incarnate representation of Christ to the community in which it is planted. The Holy Spirit is the fuel that propels the church and it leadership to fulfill the mission of God for that given body of believers.
On a practical level the trinity has helped me to see the importance of relationships when it comes to my leadership. The relationship of the trinity is key to its structure and function. The same is true within the church and the family. You can see this played out in the Gospels. When Jesus is baptized, God the father gives his blessing on the mission of the son. Jesus saw the importance of spending a lot of time with the father in prayer daily. Then Jesus tells his disciples that it is good that he goes away because then the comforter, Holy Spirit, will come and lead them into all truth. The Trinity points to the connectedness of God displayed in three distinct personalities. It is because of this connectedness that the subordination appears to be seamless. The same is true within the church and family. The more connected a pastor is to his congregation the more likely they are to follow his lead. The same is true in the family. The more engaged a father is with his children, the more likely they will follow his leadership and discipline. Relationship is the key. We can learn a lot from the trinity that can impact our leadership. It is my prayer that we each understand our role in the great, grand story of God in light of what we see in the unique characteristics of God displayed in the trinity. Have a great week and may God Bless you in all you do to for Him today.
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