Keep Leading

Ever wanted to give up or give in? Most leaders at one time or another have wanted to throw their hands up and scream, “I’m done!” I’ve quit more times in my mind than I can remember. I’ve given up on people and they’ve given up on me. Sometimes I’ve felt like the straw that broke the camel’s back, and other times I’ve felt like the camel’s back. Ministry isn’t a walk on the beach, and it’s definitely not for the faint of heart.

Studies show that over 1600-2000 leave the ministry every month. They’re just worn out and totally beat down. Sadly, most who leave the ministry never return. Most quit within their first 5 years of ministry. Interestingly, a leader’s greatest years of growth and success happen within 6-14 years of their leadership. Yet, many quit right before their most significant breakthroughs. A leader’s greatest failure is when they stop leading.

We must ask God to give us greater grace to survive higher levels of pain in leadership. Leading people is just hard sometimes, and some people aren’t willing to be led. Think of this… If Judas refused to let Jesus lead him, then we shouldn’t be too hard on ourselves when certain people choose to be difficult for us. Rather, we must focus on those we are impacting and inspiring. They need us and are counting on us to keep leading.