Who are you noticing?
Disciple is an old-fashioned word but it might be the most important word as it relates to your leadership.
You see, the kingdom of God isn’t about you using your talent. It’s about many people using many talents.
If you have been given leadership, it is your role not just to do, but to equip. It’s your job to release, stir up, disrupt, call out, challenge, and awaken the dream in others.
There’s an interesting paradox to ministry and leadership.
In order to lead, you must know where you’re going, have something to say, and stay focused for the long haul.
Yet the more you lead, the more you’re emptied. The leadership train doesn’t slow down.
It can be exhausting.
How does one stay refreshed, focused, and in a prime state to lead? You must close the door.
Consider this:
You can’t lead worship if you don’t catch a vision of God behind closed doors.
You can’t lead a team if you don’t hear from God behind closed doors.
You won’t have a God-honoring public ministry without thriving, private devotion.
Your leadership will rise and fall on your dedication to closing the door.
Do you want to be promoted?
Of course you do. There’s something distinctly human about being recognized, rewarded, and celebrated for our achievement.
Especially for musicians and creative types, we dream of the day when we take our rightful place on the pedestal.
I remember the first time I participated in the National Fine Arts program, performing a Dino Kartsonakis piano solo. The song was “My Tribute (To God Be the Glory)”.
Now, aside from the fact that this song really tugs at people’s heartstrings, I played it fairly well. Musicians and music teachers knew I was gifted and the non-musical thought I was a genius.
In my little world of Assemblies of God Western PA, I became somewhat of a musical celebrity. Score. Expectations in my mind rose to grand heights of dominating the mountain of musical achievement for the rest of my life.
My problem? I was an addict.
On a scale of 1 to 10, how burned out are you? Go ahead, be honest.
Just the other day I was talking to a worship leader friend of mine. I was always encouraged being around him. His perspective on ministry and life was energizing.
But something was different about him this day.
You know why I love the Bible?
It is filled with unlikely people who do extraordinary things.
The whole, “God uses the foolish things to shame the wise” thing? Yea, that’s me. And I know I’m in good company when it comes to Scripture. The Bible doesn’t put people’s best foot forward. It tells the truth.
And that truth can give you hope today.
Isn’t ministry wonderful…sometimes?
Ministry is that beautiful work that often thrills us, other times exhausts us, and sometimes drives us crazy.
It’s anything but easy.
I recently spoke at the Engage Worship Conference in Sussex, NB, Canada. This topic was one of my main sessions. I believe it to be an essential conversation for anyone in ministry.
In framing today’s tension, I’m asking a few question:
Whether you intend to or not, your life is telling a story.
Every decision you make contributes to the type of story you want to tell.
But most of us don’t think like that. Unfortunately, we coast from day to day without giving much thought to our lives.
As Michael Hyatt says, we spend loads of time planning our summer vacations, but hardly any time planning our life.
But this is probably the most important question you can answer.
Are you addicted to achievement?
Our culture is. I am.
We work, we achieve, we get paid. We repeat the cycle.
Productivity seems to be the beginning and end of our lives. But when it comes to being a Christian leader, you need to remember one very important fact.
Achievement isn’t the goal.
God is.
It doesn’t matter how talented you are.
It doesn’t matter if you’re the best in the world. When it comes to having an effective ministry, you need more than natural skill.
No, I’m not here to advocate laziness.
Of course, you should work on your guitar scales.
Of course, you should develop the discipline of songwriting.
Of course, you should go to the next level as a worship leader.
Effective ministry is never less than hard work. But it’s also so much more.
Why is this?
Imagine this:
You are in charge. You have authority. The buck starts and stops with you.
You are a leader.
Breathe in the fresh air. You’ve arrived.
Leadership is wonderful. Until, of course, when it isn’t.
You can’t get volunteers to show up.
Your best people leave.
You don’t know where you’re going.
Nobody seems to be listening to a word you’re saying.
After a while, the leadership you always dreamed about has become an awful game of crises management.
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