Spiritual Disciplines & Effective Leadership
In his book Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life, Donald Whitney reminds us, “The Spiritual Disciplines are the God-given means we are to use in the Spirit-filled pursuit of Godliness.” Examples are prayer, reading God’s Word, fasting, gathering with God’s people, and worship. These are the obvious disciplines that we see in scripture, and we by no means should neglect them. Alongside these personal disciplines, I’d like to suggest three things to keep on the forefront of your mind as you strive to lead others effectively. Each of these things can be seen in the life and ministry of Jesus.
- We Must Make Godliness the Goal
Leaders often lose sight of personally pursuing godliness. When we quit growing toward godliness, we essentially quit being effective leaders. The danger of neglecting godliness is that we become successful in the wrong pursuits. Large budgets and numerous people are often used as markers of ministry success, but those are a poor substitute for godliness. Jesus never lost sight of pursuing the Father’s will. Ultimately, that is the pursuit of godliness. Paul encouraged young Timothy in 1 Timothy 4:7b–8, “On the other hand, discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness; for bodily discipline is only of little profit, but godliness is profitable for all things, since it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come.” To be effective spiritual leaders, we must remember that godliness is the goal for ourselves and those that we lead.
- We Must Lead the Person in Front of Us
We have a saying that we use in our church: “Seeing people complete in Christ.” The saying is meant to remind us that we need to see people as they are, but we also need to be looking for how God wants to mature them in their faith. I love how Jesus turned what seemed like interruptions into opportunities to minister. Often, Christian leaders become so task-oriented that we lose our patience with people. We must remember, as Christian leaders, people are our ministry. In Mark 1:14-22, Jesus calls Peter, Andrew, James, and John to follow Him; He describes their new profession as being fishers of men. Ultimately, their new profession is “people.” If we are going to be effective leaders, we must commit to leading the people that God puts in front of us.
- We Must Equip and Release People for Ministry
Often, leaders are looking for volunteers to be used for certain ministry tasks, and if we are honest at times, getting the job done becomes more important than the people. We must be cautious not to put programs above people. Effective spiritual leaders use delegation as a tool for godliness, not just a means to an end. One question you should ponder as a church leader: Are the ministries and programs dependent solely on your vision, or are they born from Spirit-led members? The first phrase of that question may result in people being used to accomplish your vision. The second phrase of that question results in people being led by God to fulfill His mission which is the highest priority. As we follow God’s call on our life, we must also desire others to follow God’s call on their life. We are to help them see it, equip them for it, and encourage them to walk in their calling. When you see people walking in their calling, you have been effective in leading them toward godliness.
Author: Jess Dilley is the Senior Pastor of First Baptist Church Lake, MS.
