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Dear leader,
What an awesome task we have before us. Leadership in the Lord’s church is one of the greatest and gravest assignments an individual can receive. I am constantly reminded how amazing it is to participate in seeing God’s kingdom come to my small piece of this world. It should be our heart’s desire to bring heaven to earth in every deed, word, and thought.
On the other hand, leadership has many challenges. There is always a deadline we must meet and a decision we have to make. I know I cannot be the only one who sometimes feels the weight of the world on my shoulders.
Although leadership has its rewards, it can also have its regrets. I believe there are three key areas we must never forsake if we want to maximize the time God has entrusted to us.
"My friends, life is a road we have never driven before. Why risk being on spiritual fumes? "
Do not forsake your health
Earlier this year, I began to have a massive headache while I was preaching. By the time I finished, there was a pain shooting from the back of my neck to my head. My blood pressure had skyrocketed and I slowly began to lose the ability to speak. My wife rushed me to the emergency room, and I was quickly admitted to the hospital. I literally went from preaching to being unable to formulate a sentence to undergoing tests.
Needless to say, we were scared. By God’s grace, our fears were soon alleviated, and the event seemed to be an outlier. However, I was reminded of how important health is. The Bible reminds us in 1 Corinthians 6:19 that our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit. We must not forget how important it is to take care of ourselves physically.
Do not forsake your family
As the son of a pastor, I never felt like the church came before me. There may have been moments when I dreaded being there all the time. Yet I never got the impression that ministry was more significant than me to my dad. While faith was always a priority in our home, we knew leading a church was not more important to him than guiding his family.
I try to model the same for my children. Every chance I get, I volunteer at their schools, coach their sports teams, and make my home a place where their friends will want to hang out. Family is a priority. Will there be times when the demands of ministry call me away and I miss things in their lives? Yes. However, I try to ensure these instances are exceptions and not the rule.
Do not forsake your personal time with God
There are seasons when it seems there are not enough hours in the day. I had to learn to regard my time with God as if it were foundational and not a luxury. Without personal time with God, ministry becomes functional but shallow—efficient but not transformational.
Every day our decisions build habits. Often these habits will either drive us further from God’s desire for our lives or pull us closer to Him. If you have ever driven your car on “E,” you know this can be a rather tense situation. Now, imagine driving down country roads you’ve never been on before. The tension is magnified. My friends, life is a road we have never driven before. Why risk being on spiritual fumes?
If we are going to be all that we need to be as leaders, these three keys are essential. They have been so important to my personal and spiritual growth. I pray God provides you wisdom, courage, and strength as you serve Him faithfully.
