Healthy Leaders | Issue 7
Suffering means more than you think, how to make space for revival, and 18 signs you might have a high-potential leader on your hands.
Welcome to Issue 7 of Healthy Leaders.
In this issue ‒ suffering means more than you think, how to make space for revival, and 18 signs you might have a high-potential leader on your hands. Plus: you too can escape hard things in just five easy steps!
Let’s dive in.
In Suffering, God Isn’t (Simply) Teaching You a Lesson
Blake Glosson makes a case for suffering being more about turning deeply to God than learning a specific lesson from Him.
“Christ isn’t looking down his nose at your suffering. He isn’t disappointed you haven’t figured everything out. He isn’t waiting for you to submit a report on the lessons you learned from your pain before he grants you his presence. He simply wants you to collapse into his loving arms.”
Letters from Grandpa: Ten Things I Have Learned About Conflict
Cory Ishida has learned some lessons in his many years of ministry, and in this letter he shares some of the treasure.
“…I learned that we should be willing to forgive others who have hurt us or harmed us in any way. Paul wrote in Ephesians 4:32, ‘Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.’
There are times when being a Christian is challenging. We are to forgive those who have sinned against us. Since Jesus has forgiven us through an incredible act of love and sacrifice by going to the cross to die for us, how can we do any less than to forgive others, even if the cost seems too great?
I think this is one of the hardest things we are called to do as children of God. For me, it has been a lifelong journey. It is still difficult to forgive those who have sinned against me. The journey, however, has been incredibly worthwhile as I seek to be like Jesus.”
The 5 Temptations of a Struggling Leader
Struggle – whether it’s born from suffering or conflict or our own sin – is either going to bring out the best or the worst in us. Carey Nieuwhof offers some insightful advice for leaders in the thick of it by identifying five ways they might seek to escape. Notably, all five methods of escape are self-centered.
“It’s so easy to get addicted to making progress or at least maintaining the status quo that you’ll be tempted to cheat in ways that seemed unthinkable even a few years ago.
I’ve been through more than a few seasons of struggle—personally and in leadership. And regardless of the source, when you’re in a slump, you’re tempted to cheat in a way you simply aren’t when things are going better…”
Nieuwhof suggests that a turning point in your struggle is just recognizing that you’re in it, which is true. But it’s a recipe for despair if you don’t go further. Knowing you have a problem only helps if you humble yourself to actually seek help from God and those around you.
Thankfully, we have a God whose grace is sufficient, and whose strength is made perfect in our weakness (2 Corinthians 12:8-10). Talk about a way of escape!
Inadequacy Is Compulsory in Evangelism
Speaking of sufficient grace, Becky Pippert’s words on God-reliant evangelism provide helpful counterpoint to Nieuwhof’s take. They ring true for healthy leaders as well:
“My husband and I have traveled the world equipping churches, seminaries, and student ministries to be effective witnesses. In our conferences, I ask people to share their biggest obstacles in evangelism, which we then project on a screen. The comments rarely vary.
‘What if I offend or am rejected?’
‘What if they ask a question I can’t answer?’
‘I can’t witness because I’m not an extrovert or gifted as an evangelist.’
‘I feel paralyzed by my weakness and inadequacy.’
‘I’m not good at debate or apologetics. I’d witness more if I had answers to their questions.’
‘Looking at the screen,’ I ask, ‘do you see any connections in the obstacles you cite?’ They notice it immediately. Their focus is entirely on themselves. Evangelism is intimidating because they fear it’s all about them, their gifts, and their skills.
Next, I ask, ‘Is there anything you see that’s missing?’ They always do: ‘We never even mentioned God or his role in evangelism!’ We place far too much importance on our skills and gifts (or lack thereof) and not enough on God.”
Striving for God’s highest will never be our goal until we rely on God fully and completely, trusting Him to complete what He has already begun in us and through us.
18 Ways to Identify Emerging Leaders
Malcolm Webber offers us some timeless indicators for high-potential leaders in this piece from the archives. Here’s a few favorites:
“Look for the willingness to serve and to make personal sacrifices for the Divine cause.
Jesus emphasized the need for total commitment (Matt. 13:44-45). And consider the immediate response of those whom Jesus chose to follow Him (Mark 1:17-20)! People who are not willing to make the necessary sacrifice and who have their own list of terms and requirements are probably not the best choices.
Look for a genuine love for God’s people.
The foundation of our ministries must be a genuine love for the saints and a commitment to their highest good in God’s purposes (Phil. 2:20-21). This love will be tested profoundly and repeatedly over the years of ministry, so it must be present from the beginning in the heart of an emerging leader.
Look for a realistic opinion of himself and others.
Those who demand perfection from themselves and others will not make good leaders. Effective leaders must be willing to accept reasonable mistakes. Perfectionists will be too afraid of mistakes to delegate responsibilities to others.”
No Celebrities Except Jesus: Protecting Revival
To close us out, Daniel Silliman shares a pretty cool example of managers and leaders working together – and using holistic thinking – to safeguard the work of the Spirit during the recent Asbury Revival.
“An ad hoc revival committee of about seven people gathered in the one quiet space in Hughes—a storage closet. According to several people who were there, they pushed aside a drum kit and keyboard and sat knee to knee. Someone found a dry erase board, and they asked each other, ‘What are we going to do in the next two hours?’
Then they started thinking slightly longer term: ‘Will students stay all night? What does that look like? Should we leave the sound system on? Should we let students keep bringing guitars into chapel?’
…The group quickly came to a consensus that they hadn’t started the outpouring, hadn’t planned any of this, but they were nonetheless called in that moment to be hospitable. They would work to host it and hold it, all the while keeping in mind that they were not in control….
‘We want to be true to how the Holy Spirit showed up with our students,’ said Baldwin, the vice president of student life. ‘We experienced joy. We experienced love. We experienced peace. There was lots of singing and testimonies. Those became our signposts. This is how, in front of our eyes, we are seeing the Holy Spirit come upon our students, and we want to honor that.’”
In other words: life before structure, and structure that supports life. Praise God for His work in this!
That’s all for this one, friends. If you found something encouraging in this letter, share it with a friend. If you’ve found something encouraging outside of this letter, send it our way. We love to share what our leaders love.
Until next time, we’re with you!
— Chris
(for all of us at LeaderSource)