Misleading
Last week one day I had the pleasure of sitting down with another young female leader. I love these conversations because I usually discover another kindred spirit. With a fellow female leader I’m rarely short on words… just short on time.
About mid-way through our conversation she asked me a very troubling question:
“As a leader with all you have to do to lead others, how do you make time for your own personal spiritual growth?”
Her question brought to mind this quote I had recently read in Beth Moore‘s Paul: 90 Days on His Journey of Faith
“If we’re leading but we’re not closely following Christ, we are misleading.”
Misleading.
Do you know how the dictionary defines misleading?
Deceptive!
Leaders, that’s a huge responsibility!
It’s easy for our spiritual walk to become a part of our “work”. How often do you sit down to read or study God’s word for simply the purpose of hearing from him? Not for a sermon. Not for a blog post. Not for a book concept. Not for a twitter quote.
I only ask because I’m incredibly guilty of that myself.
Our spiritual health is essential for us to lead as God has called us to.
Will you join me this week in reading and studying God’s Word just to hear from Him, with no other agenda?
i love that you lead some of the most influential people i know. but, yes, you must care for your own spiritual health too.
Can we trust God, our Father, enough to entrust our burdens and success to Him while diligently seeking Him? Can we not trust Him to handle the details of the rest of our lives when we accord Him his just due of our time, thoughts and energy? Lord we believe; help our unbelief!
Thank you!
I have been reminded of the same thing. Absolutely join in on that. Looking forward to that refreshing time
Jenni, Thank you for sharing your heart on this subject. As a life management coach and trainer for people in churches and community, this IS one of the MOST overlooked areas of the nine life areas we juggle and manage daily. To share something quickly that helps many find and make the time to keep this their top priority is to schedule time out for a “Think Drink” (coffee, tea, whatever!) to make room in their lives to get with God, seek His word, or merely find space to listen for Him. Get it on your calendar-no exceptions. Take a 1/2 hour or an hour, go and get a drink at one of your favorite locations, and get alone with God regularly! It’s easy to do, and I encourage everyone I coach/teach to do this and give it a try. It works!
Jenni, this is one of the areas God reminded me of as I embarked on 2012. My word for this year is “healthy”. Not just for being physically “healthy” but being “healthy” as a believer, a husband, a dad, and as a leader and part of the plan was to read God’s Word as my love letter from Him not as a message to give, teach, or preach to someone else. It has really made my time with Him and His Word very special. Leading ourselves is often times neglected and overlooked. Thanks for the reminder and for your leadership!
Need this reminder more often than I would like to admit. My biggest fear is sacrificing my own personal spiritual growth for the growth of the people/teams I lead. I appreciated all your thoughts on this, Jenni!
Oh man, what a great question. It is a challenge, and I wish I could say it wasn’t because I’m so aware of what you’ve said right here – I’m ‘mis’leading if I’m not being led by God myself. Talk about responsibility…!
I love this Jenny! So convicting as well.