“The Cost of Leadership” (Part Three)

Unnecessary costs of effective leadership can be avoided.

But we have listed some normal costs that every leader faces and some ones that are necessary for effective leadership.

But there are some prices of leadership that we pay that should be avoided.  And everyone’s in the same boat – we have all been here way too frequently.

Today we look at those with some reminders from scripture and experience.

1. Burnout from overwork.

It happens all the time, and sometimes it sneaks.  We are all built so differently that no one can exactly tell others how to avoid this.

There are enough scripture examples of the call to a “sabbath” type of rest, and even of Jesus taking some time out to pray and be with His father in a special way!

All of us can operate with the priority to having some time alone, some time with just family, exercise, and true vacations.  For me, the necessity of being alone, having truly kept “appointments” with family one-on-one, and exercise – these were preventative medicine.
What helps you?  For some, it’s one or one and half days a week of absolutely no touch of church work.  For others it’s a special break every four or five weeks for a day or two.  For everyone it’s the need for a little time every day when there is no worry about being on call but just concern to work that body in a very physical way.  Enough studies have been written to show that stress is helped by physical exercise as well as spiritual worship.

Do not burn out.  Do not take the messiah title for yourself.

2. Ulcers from worry.

I was taught when I was little that “worry is a sin,” and if that’s true I know that I have sinned every day.  I’m defining “worry” as a special concern for something.

I don’t know if there has ever been a day that I didn’t worry with special concern for the church, or before that, our children.

But to dwell on a situation that we can do nothing about, to simply “dig a ditch” by sitting and thinking about a past mistake, to try to simply worry about where we have been – these are unnecessary.

There is a call we would all teach or preach about – to “cast our cares” upon the Lord and to really pray as if it all depends on Him and work as if it all depends on us, and then “go to bed”!

Many of us have certainly found great encouragement and sustenance from talking with the Lord very candidly about our worries and our cares, and also by having one or two really good friends or a small “accountability” group where there can be such candor.  Talking certainly helps with the load.

3. Guilt from a failure.

This too is a very unnecessary cost.  For who has not failed?  Or what kind of a God and shepherd do we have in Christ that He would not forgive our frailties and lift us up?

Can we envision Jesus talking to us like He did to Peter toward the end of John’s gospel, when He asked this good friend who had betrayed Him, “Do you love me?”

And He does it three times, making us feel it was one for each of the betrayals.

And in a sense He sends us back to the church and to our people with His love as He tells Peter and us to take care of his sheep, to feed them, to care for the lambs.

No guilt there!

And, furthermore, no one who tries anything at all avoids failure.  Many programs or attempts to bring healing or reconciliation to people will fail.  Many ideas were not as good as we first thought.  Many sermons barely make it.

But guilt?  Guilt is meant to be for the condemned, and we are not among them.  Guilt should be a daily feeling of the sinner who does not care about his rebellion, not for those of us in the family.  Guilt should be felt by people who never try anything new or simply float their way through the day, not for those of us who are trying hard to glorify the Lord and build His church.

Be done with the guilt.

4. Burdens from people.

Not from God, but from people who blame us for something.  From people who are discouraged and come to us to say it is our fault.

I was only 27 when the mother of a girl who had run away tried to put the blame on me by saying that if my wife and I had called more to the home or paid more attention to her daughter, she would not have run away.  I carried that as a heavy burden for too long.  Maybe I should have, I thought too much.

When I was 37 I wrote in my “journal”:  “Everyone does exactly what he wants to do.”  It is true.  You and I should not take the blame for what someone else has chosen.

Especially if we have done our best in one sense and tried to work hard at showing grace and the love of Jesus Christ, we cannot carry the concerns of what others have done.  We cannot carry the responsibility for what others have done.

Now a burden from the Lord is another issue, but that usually is a challenge where He promises to sustain us and carry us.  That is a scriptural command about our part in caring for the church and for preaching the cross and for getting the word out.

Paul spoke so clearly about his daily burden about the churches – see II Corinthians 11:28.  That’s a healthy one.  That’s one we should all have.  You can’t get away from that one, and we really should not want to!  It is the proper concern, and care and worry (the good sense of that word) for people and their spiritual growth and maturity.

But that burden is also balanced by the fact that we are together with Christ in the yoke and solving the goals with His help.  And His yoke is good!  See Matthew 11:28-30 and celebrate that constantly!

5. Poverty from comparisons.

How many times in my life as a pastor have I told myself not to do it again!  Why is it so easy?  Is it pure ego or does it have the marks of a driven personality or is it from the devil or is it just plain unhealthy?

We used to have Sunday school contests among the churches in our district that were in the same fellowship of churches.  I even was in charge of them for a while.  It breeds something rather sinful or selfish when you can’t wait to see that the other church gained less than you did!  How horrible to feel good because somebody lost and you gained!

Granted it was in fun, but it just nursed that drive within us to beat somebody.

It’s a cousin to the feeling we get when we feel bad because one of those huge churches gets all the publicity, or the big ones get to write the articles, or someone asks us what we think about that church down the street or on other side of town without asking about our own place!  We all have spent time counseling little kids or teenagers or even adults about being content with how God made them.  And who they are.  And accepting what has happened.

It just makes you poor to think that somebody is in better shape physically or mentally or more proficient at something you like to do.  Instead we should take the right steps toward glorifying God for the abilities He’s given others and also ourselves, resting in His sovereignty, doing our best, and rejoicing with those who rejoice.

It is an unnecessary cost for any of us as leaders to spend time lamenting that we can’t do it like someone else can or that our growth has been losing the contest!

The real issue is how we compare with Christ, and that would just make us feel guilty if didn’t drive us to trust Him more and love Him, especially for His forgiveness and His offered strength.

These five are some of the unnecessary and pricey bills we pay if we don’t abide in Christ and look at life His way.

One final list? These are not costs but some abiding principles that do imply some of the hard work or sacrifices that go with any kind of leadership.  See what you think.

1. Leading will always be hard work.

We all know that.  Maybe it’s part of why we want to do it.

Just remember how free you feel when you’re on vacation and you walk into a church service and realize you don’t have to worry about anything.  Or you watch some kind of a board meeting or a speech by someone on TV.  That’s the way many people feel because they do not have to lead.

But for those of us up front or involved in decisions, it will be hard work.  Good work, but hard.

2. The higher up you go in an organization, the more excellence is demanded.  By God, also.

Read the list of gifts in Romans 12 and when you come to the gift of leadership, Paul just tells us it must be done “with excellence.”  So should everything else in the church, of course, but this one should not have exception!

3. Two to five people are better than one.

That’s a cost indeed.  It’s not easy to get others involved in decision-making.  It’s not easy to help others feel the burden enough that they will give you candid advice and input.

4. Example is primary.

Of course we live in glass houses.  Of course we have to be careful what we say.  Of course we should take that as a great privilege, to be an example even by the way we handle anger or disappointment.

5. True change takes longer than we think.

A great axiom that I’m always remembering is, “It’s amazing how little you can do in one year and how much you can accomplish in five years.”  And one of the costs of leadership is patience.  Endurance.  Don’t give up so soon!

6. In small groups we are called to listen; in larger groups we are called to lead.

That’s almost an exact quote from Lyle Schaller, my favorite church guru of strategies, and his point is that when you’re with just a few people or at a breakfast meeting, don’t be preaching!  Listen to them.  Ask questions.  Get to know who they really are.

But when you’re standing up in front of your board or group or church, this is no time to ask everybody’s opinion and try to get a consensus.  It is a time to lead, to charge up the hill!

7. God uses leaders more than committees.

I forget where that statue is for committees.  Maybe they’re still working on it.

8. Leaders can expect opposition.

Of course.  That doesn’t make it any more fun, but it’s always going to be there.  That’s a cost.

Every linebacker knows that he’s going to have to make some hard tackles.  That’s part of the job.  Every pastor knows the same thing is true.

9. There are not many feelings as good as the satisfaction that comes with successful leadership.

We see the person changed by Christ.  We notice how loving one of the church leaders has become after the discipleship program.

Sometimes we need to just give God thanks for how good He has been and for strides and accomplishments that come with preaching His Word and loving His people.

That’s worth all the costs!