You are a leader!

You are a leader. Everyone is called to some type of leadership. To lead means to influence, and we all influence others. Paul, the apostle, said he was “not appointed by any group of people or any human authority, but by Jesus Christ himself…” (Gal. 1:1). Remember, your ultimate call to lead comes from God.

Most of us go through seasons of doubting our call from God to influence others. Twenty-five years ago, I almost quit as the senior pastor of our church. My immaturity as a leader and my inability to communicate clearly the things that I felt God was showing me led to my frustration. After serving as a senior pastor for twelve years, I was ready to “throw in the towel.” I felt misunderstood, and I was not sure if it was worth all the hassle. I was frustrated, exhausted and overworked.

But when I spent time alone with God, I remembered the original call from God to lead this church. And the call had not changed! God never told me to quit! I went back to my original call from God, found a mentor, and led our leadership team and church through a transition to decentralize into eight churches and then start a family of churches today numbering hundreds of churches on five continents. And by the grace of God, I am fulfilled in my call and role of leadership.

The bible says, “Be sure to carry out the ministry the Lord gave you” (Col. 4:17). God has called you. You must know that you are called by God to serve in a role of leadership. Otherwise, when the going gets tough, you will probably doubt yourself and question your decisions. And remember, if someone talked you into a position of leadership, someone else can talk you out of it. You must know you have been called by God to lead.