Are you addicted to achievement?

Carey Nieuwhof Dec. 5, 2022

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Leadership attracts a certain personality type—achievers, people who love to get things done.

It's easy for our lives to get consumed with doing, not with being. If we are performance addicts (as many in ministry are), it only makes it worse, because we derive our sense of self-worth from achievement.

As someone who struggles with this, I've had to fight to keep my relationship with God first in my life. For me, it's way easier to "do" than to "be."

Jesus was the opposite. He was completely focused on who He was as it was defined by His relationship with His Father. Jesus spent 30 years preparing for three years of ministry.

And even during those three years, he would disappear for long periods of time to pray, fast and meditate on Scripture. He knew God intimately, and tapped into a power source (God) that truly turned things upside down.

We'd consider it sacrificial to spend three years preparing for a thirty year run at something … Jesus did the opposite, and we'll never be the same.

As a leader, I need to spend more time being in Christ and less time doing things for Him. What about you? After all, the things I do will pass away. But the relationships with God and each other that we establish will last forever.

This article was first published atcareynieuwhof.com. Used with permission.

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Carey Nieuwhof is a former lawyer and founding pastor of Connexus Church. He’s the author of several best-selling books, including, Didn’t See It Coming: Overcoming the Seven Greatest Challenges That No One Expects But Everyone Experiences. Carey speaks to leaders around the world about leadership, change and personal growth. Learn More »

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