The Trinity is our feeble effort to define the attributes of God. The Bible points to the fact the Trinity refers to the triune personalities of God. If you look to the early church fathers, the Trinity was an issue 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 the 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 about how God can be three and one, but I think the more we get to know and follow Him, it becomed 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 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. The same is true 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 the earth was formless, 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 Godhead conferring with the other two members of the Trinity as they decide to make man “in or image.” Jesus played a vital role in creation. In John 1:3, we see God created everything “through Christ.” Jesus was the agent of Creation. That is why it is so profound that the Person who played the most active role in Creation came back to give His life to redeem what He created. The Trinity is one of the basic foundations of the Christian faith, but also one of the most misunderstood. When we look at it against the backdrop of Scripture, we see each member of the Trinity has a unique role in the God’s story.

As it relates to leadership, I see the Holy Spirit as the unifying factor within the Trinity. God is the head. All things originate from the head and communicates those things to the body. The body represents Christ. Christ is the active part of the Trinity executing the head’s will. The Holy Spirit is the power that flows through the body unifying the Trinity. 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 who represent Christ to the community. The Holy Spirit is the fuel that propels the church and leadership to fulfill the mission of God for that given body of believers.

On a practical level, the Trinity has helped me 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 was baptized, God the Father gave His blessing on the mission of the Son. Jesus saw the importance of spending a lot of time with the Father in prayer daily. Jesus told told His disciples that it was good for Him to go away because the Comforter, the Holy Spirit, would 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 minister is to those under his or her care, the more likely members are to follow the leader.

The same is true in families. 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 roles in God’s story 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.

For more information about PowerHouse Youth Ministry or Randy Brown visit PowerHouseYouth.us