Being a good leader is the goal of every pastor, no matter the size of their congregation. You want to lead well and be a good example of a devoted Christ-follower that other believers can look up to.
But being a good leader in the church looks very different from the world’s standards.
1. The world says be proud, but God says be humble.
Proverbs 16:18 warns that pride goes before destruction.
While it isn’t wrong to feel satisfied with your accomplishments and to feel proud of what you’re able to do through God, as soon as those feelings place you above Him, you’ve got a problem.
The Lord gives good gifts and equips His people to do amazing things. But He also deserves all of the credit for it as well.
Pastors of large churches have gotten a negative reputation in recent years, with multiple examples of church leaders seeking personal fame and glory over practicing humility that points people to Christ.
These so-called “rock star” pastors demonstrate the ease with which leaders can fall to the temptation to build themselves up rather than using their position to show others the path to salvation.
But throughout the scriptures, believers are instructed to be humble, to act with humility, and to submit to the Father.
Being humble is one of the most challenging qualities to embody as a leader, but true humility is the hallmark of a leader set apart.
Giving God the glory for all of your achievements isn’t always easy, especially when you’ve put in countless hours and worked hard to make something happen.
When the world says to be proud, God says to be humble.
2. The world says take charge, but God says serve others.
According to the world, a good leader is someone who takes charge, makes things happen, and doesn’t take no for an answer.
But the best leader in the entire history of the world showed us that taking charge isn’t what matters. Serving others and caring for them is the true purpose of a good leader.
While you are responsible for ensuring that events are planned, sermons are prepared, and other ministry needs are met, these things are all secondary to serving your congregation.
You don’t have to take charge to be a good leader according to God’s standards. You simply need to understand what Jesus meant when He told His disciples, “Anyone who wants to be first must be the very last, and the servant of all” (Mark 9:35).
To truly be a great leader in the eyes of the Lord, you can’t push your way to the front of the line or bulldoze others to make things happen.
When the world says to take charge, God says to serve others.
3. The world says, “follow me,” but God says, “follow Me.”
In a world increasingly immersed in social media, accumulating followers has become a measure of a person’s worth. The number of “likes” or comments dictates whether you matter or if people care about you.
However, the reality is that when the world says “follow me,” it turns the attention away from the only One worth chasing after.
The mark of a biblical leader is one who follows wholeheartedly after God, even if the world says he’s going in the wrong direction.
Christians have long been described as acting counter to culture or swimming against the mainstream. But when the world is moving away from its Creator, following after Him is the best way to go.
In His famous Sermon on the Mount, Jesus tells listeners that many will fail to find the narrow gate that leads to life (Matthew 7:13-14).
Good leaders don’t just follow God with all that they are; they also show others what it takes to follow Him, too. Instead of telling your congregation to follow you and emulate what you do, to be a true biblical leader, you must show your members how to be disciples following Him.
So when the world says “follow me,” show them what it looks like to follow Jesus.
4. The world says live your truth, but God says show others the truth.
“Truth” is one of those words that should have only one definition, but has been distorted by culture to mean something entirely different.
It’s hard to do anything in our modern world without hearing or seeing something about “living your truth.”
The concept of truth has morphed from what matches fact and reality into something that adapts and changes based on each person’s experiences and preferences.
In John 14:6, Jesus famously declares that He is “the way and the truth and the life.” He definitively states what the truth is, and it isn’t flexible.
As a biblical leader, it is your responsibility to demonstrate God’s truth through your words and actions, lovingly guiding others to the only way to salvation.
You have been entrusted with speaking truth into your congregation. Even if you aren’t the one giving the sermons every week, you are still vital to sharing the truth with your members and helping them understand how God’s truth differs from what the world claims.
When the world says to live your truth, it is doing its best to drive you far from the One who is truth. But God has given you the privilege of sharing His truth with others.
5. The world says rely on yourself, but God says lean fully on Him.
“If you want it done right, you have to do it yourself.”
This sentiment drives a wedge in everything from marriages to boardrooms.
There are times when taking the reins and getting things done on your own isn’t a bad thing. But if you aren’t trusting God through each of those tasks, it doesn’t matter if you’re tackling something solo or you have a team of 1,000 people helping you.
The world tries to claim that you can’t trust anyone but yourself. However, the Bible makes it clear time and time again that the only person you can trust is the Creator Himself. He will never leave you or forsake you and is there with you in times of trouble.
One of the most important characteristics of a good biblical leader is full reliance on God through every circumstance.
The world has proven itself to be untrustworthy, and you have likely let yourself down more times than you can count.
So when the world says to rely on yourself, stand tall as a good biblical leader who leans fully on God.
Being a good leader is hard in a world that opposes God at every turn. However, the Bible provides clear guidance on how to be a good leader who humbly serves others, follows God wholeheartedly, shares the truth with others, and relies fully on the Father.
The world has a lot to say on what it takes to make a name for yourself, but a true biblical leader knows what it means to follow the Name.
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