Do you ever have moments where you’re sitting in church thinking, “Wow, only God could orchestrate this passage to be covered at this exact time and to be SO relevant for this very day?” That’s how I felt on Sunday as we talked about leadership in 1 Peter.
This past week I have been thinking a lot about how difficult it is to be a leader, pastor, and teacher of God’s word in today’s climate. There is incredible pressure to “pick a side” or “say the right thing,” when in reality, knowing our battle is unseen and in the spiritual realm…I am starting to wonder where that pressure is truly coming from.
Over the years as I’ve walked with Jesus, not once did He pressure me or manipulate me to make a decision. He has always been a pure gentlemen, wanting me to come to Him out of true obedience and love for who He is.
I thought about this as we talked through bad leadership, and how that can look like manipulating or controlling or lording power over the flock. Like Pastor Jason said, “Jesus is Lord. And yet, He never chose to lord it over us.”
This message was so relevant for today, because I have rarely seen more pressure on pastors and teachers as I have in the last week. I can’t imagine the weight they carry, having to shepherd God’s flock and do their best to “feed the sheep” out of their pure love for the Lord.
In a way, I am sure you have felt that same pressure one or two times in your own life. Maybe you were in charge of a small group, or leading some friends through a book, or running a meeting at work. All of a sudden, it was up to you to move things in a certain direction. There was a pressure on you to say and do the right thing.
The good news is, this pressure doesn’t need to fall solely on our shoulders. If we are led by the Spirit, we can trust wherever He leads. We can faithfully “feed the sheep” just like Jesus told Peter to do on that day they shared breakfast on the beach.
We know the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, and self control (Galatians 5:22-23). Pastor Jason implored us to ask these important questions: Why am I leading this way? What is my motive? After you have asked those questions, I would also implore you to ask: Is my leadership filled with the fruit of the Spirit? If not, how can I make some changes?
Remember, God has given each of us everything we need to lead and love well. He is not waiting for us to mess up or watching our lives under a microscope. There is grace! There is abundant grace. But at the same time, let us have great discernment over how and why we lead…so we can continue to lovingly feed His sheep well.
This past week I have been thinking a lot about how difficult it is to be a leader, pastor, and teacher of God’s word in today’s climate. There is incredible pressure to “pick a side” or “say the right thing,” when in reality, knowing our battle is unseen and in the spiritual realm…I am starting to wonder where that pressure is truly coming from.
Over the years as I’ve walked with Jesus, not once did He pressure me or manipulate me to make a decision. He has always been a pure gentlemen, wanting me to come to Him out of true obedience and love for who He is.
I thought about this as we talked through bad leadership, and how that can look like manipulating or controlling or lording power over the flock. Like Pastor Jason said, “Jesus is Lord. And yet, He never chose to lord it over us.”
This message was so relevant for today, because I have rarely seen more pressure on pastors and teachers as I have in the last week. I can’t imagine the weight they carry, having to shepherd God’s flock and do their best to “feed the sheep” out of their pure love for the Lord.
In a way, I am sure you have felt that same pressure one or two times in your own life. Maybe you were in charge of a small group, or leading some friends through a book, or running a meeting at work. All of a sudden, it was up to you to move things in a certain direction. There was a pressure on you to say and do the right thing.
The good news is, this pressure doesn’t need to fall solely on our shoulders. If we are led by the Spirit, we can trust wherever He leads. We can faithfully “feed the sheep” just like Jesus told Peter to do on that day they shared breakfast on the beach.
We know the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, and self control (Galatians 5:22-23). Pastor Jason implored us to ask these important questions: Why am I leading this way? What is my motive? After you have asked those questions, I would also implore you to ask: Is my leadership filled with the fruit of the Spirit? If not, how can I make some changes?
Remember, God has given each of us everything we need to lead and love well. He is not waiting for us to mess up or watching our lives under a microscope. There is grace! There is abundant grace. But at the same time, let us have great discernment over how and why we lead…so we can continue to lovingly feed His sheep well.
Erika Pizzo
Erika is an author of various books on the topics of faith, mental health, and victory in Christ. Erika lives with her husband, daughter, son, and their fluffy poodle in sunny Southern California. Her two favorite things are a visit to the beach and a chai latte in hand.