Everyone has a reputation but concerning yourself with it is not in the job description of the Christian leader.
To be a leader of anything we become what it is we are leading. To be 'like' Christ we become intimate with God, which gives us understanding of Father's Heart. As we desire to walk in His purpose for our lives, we grow in His knowledge, becoming more and more mature, until we behold Him, seeing Him in the mirror.
When I was a child, we sang the song "What a Friend we have in Jesus". It really is a beautiful song. In that song, Jesus is described as our friend, and that's true, but it also says we take everything to God in prayer, which is true also. But as we grew to become men, our understanding grows. Now, I take God with me, to everything. When we first surrender to God we took everything to God in prayer, but as we mature, we take God to everything. Truth is, you are His temple, and wherever you go, He goes.
When it comes to spiritual leadership, the way Jesus did it was The Way. The specific works may be different since the ways God deals with His people constantly change, but what He did is the same yesterday, today and forever. We can look at His life to discover the thing that got Him crucified, which is what we were just speaking of. He came not only as a friend of God, but as His Son. That's a different animal altogether. His ministry didn't only announce, but He followed through with God coming to the world. Announcing it is one thing but when you're a vehicle for Him to live, now we can see The Way, The Truth and The Life.
If you're going through a dry time, it's not because He's mad at you. It's a new day, so there are new dimensions for you to walk. Think of it like raising a child; you don't do more for them as they get older- you do less. You teach them to build on what you've shown them, until they either operate as an adult or live in your basement (should you decide not release them). In the Christian's development, it's very similar. As we grow, we learn to walk in Him, with understanding He is in us. These are realities. Once we resort to 'spinning' reality to make us look better or worse, we're no longer being honest. 'Considering our reputation' and 'being honest' are simply polar opposites.
If we try to protect or defend our reputation we are off-track. You don't have to defend your honor or make sure everyone understands you. When we feel this need we've left the power that demonstrates our gospel is true. We are transformed when our minds are renewed, not the other way around. Being reputation driven causes us to filter our motivations through popular (or unpopular) opinion, in order to wield influence, resulting in something less than authentic. It's a very worldly and prideful concept to be proud of your name, heritage or anything else. The American sayings we've grown fond are often less than wise counsel. No, you should not pull yourself up by your bootstraps. No, one mistake will not change who you are. No, your life doesn't have to look just like your neighbors'. Yes, you were fearfully and wonderfully made, in His image.
Effective leadership begins with consistency with the message and the one delivering the message. The bullets must fit The Gun. The way God presents Christ to the world is The Gun; it's members of His Body. Jesus made Himself of no reputation, made the decision to serve us righteousness, came in the likeness of men. He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. To exalt God, exalt Christ and He will exalt you. (Phil 2:7-9). Follow His pattern to bear with others (and yourself) as they discover His saving Grace.
Although we become accustomed to recognizing each other by the way we look, our physical appearance is a house for the real you. It's your spirit and your soul that people get to know when they think of you. Your personality, your mind, your unique way of seeing life and others all make up 'YOU'. You live in your body just like God's Spirit lives in His. Think about how exiting that is, but also think about the heavy responsibility to take His name. If you're married, chances are that one of you took the others' name. Similarly, taking God's name, as part of His family takes on the responsibility that you'll be a truthful ambassador, revealing God's true self. This is done without effort simply by having faith in Him. The miraculous manifestation is a body of world-wide believers who demonstrate who God is. Just like your neighbors know you when you step outside, the same is true when His body steps into the world.
As an example of what I'm hoping to communicate, by honoring the water in a cup, we bring honor to the cup. To the cup, this is dis-honor because it seeks glory for itself. Drinking a cup of water doesn't mean we drink ONLY from cups. No vessel should be worshiped, but when you want to drink water without refilling you'll drink from a river.
Most anyone exposed to Biblical teaching, preaching or personal study has heard the word 'Agape' being used. No one would disagree that 'Agape' is the Greek word for 'Love' when used as a noun. The study is extensive so I'm not attempting to 'can' what it means. Often, we also use the word 'Love' (Agape), when we attempt to 'describe'. In those cases, the word 'agape' is being used as an adjective or adverb. The descriptive word (adjective or adverb), as defined by 