Jesus never ran: 5 tips for leaders
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Are you tired? Do you feel like you are running fast and then other days you are running faster?
Imagine you knew that you only had three years to do ministry. Now imagine your mission is still the same. How would your leadership be different?
Jesus only had three years, and he knew his mission. Yet he didn't run, he didn't sprint, he didn't work 20-hour days.
In Luke 8, Jesus is asked to heal a dying girl. On the way he is touched by another woman that had been bleeding for 12 years. Two things stand out to me from this story. First, Jesus never ran and he was never hurried. He had faith that God was going to heal both ladies, even after one had died.
Second, he didn't miss the opportunity to care for someone, even when someone else may have been hurting more. When the woman touched him, Jesus stopped. She had already been healed, but he saw an opportunity to care and lead her towards God.
Based on Jesus' example, here are five tips you can put into practice:
1. Who am I passing off to? In the Feeding of 5000, the disciples were stressed about how many people they had to feed. They frantically approached Jesus and said that he needed to do something. His response? "You feed them."
They didn't think they had it in them, but they organized small groups, fed them, and cared for the people. Jesus knew it was his church that would care for his people after he was gone. He knew that he didn't need to do everything all of the time. What was most important is teaching others how to love and care, how to lead, and how to then encourage others to do the same.
2. Take a deep breath.Jesus had three years. Three. And he still didn't rush. He went where God sent him, and he let God do the rest. Your organization will survive. You will survive. But not if you can't breathe. Not if you are moving so fast that you can't see, think, or care for yourself.
Don't let the work you are doing destroy the person that you are, because all that will lead to is you bringing down others alongside yourself. Take a moment to pause, every day; this could be time for prayer, silence, a short walk, whatever relaxes you.
3. Set a manageable pace.Jesus always worked with intensity but he didn't sprint. Even with the time crunch of three years, he achieved what he set out to do. Most trainers or preparation websites for the marathon will tell you that the best way to win, or at a minimum survive, the marathon is to set the right pace from the start. Those that sprint out of the gate often do not maintain that pace throughout the rest of the race and are most often outrun by those that knew the value of pace.
4. Keep your eyes open along the way.Throughout the Bible we see stories of healing when people were attentive. Jesus met the woman at the well, the two ladies from the story earlier, Levi the tax collector, and many others. A kind Samaritan stopped to care for a sick man on the side of the road. These are just a few of the instances in which someone kept an eye out for need and then met it when they saw it.
People will never hurt on your timeline, so you will need to help them on theirs. Meetings are important, schedules are important because we want to respect other leader's time. Yet, Jesus saw the value in all people, not just the one next up on the schedule. He stopped when the need arose, and he brought healing every time.
5. Live by and in the fruits of the Spirit.Paul lists the qualities of someone that is living by the Spirit of God. These are love, joy, peace, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. None of these are easy or meaningful when done at a sprinting pace. This takes intentionality, and it takes the Holy Spirit.
Jesus often secluded himself to pray. On the night before his ministry was to end, he prayed, asking for God to lead. The fruit of the Spirit isn't called the fruit of humanity for a reason, because it takes the Spirit. Prayer is our best tool for slowing down, aligning our hearts with God, and seeing life as God does.
In the story in Luke 8, Jesus had two very important people to connect with. One was dying and the other was suffering. Yet he never let one feel more or less important than the other. He cared for both. His pace showed love and focus on whatever was right in front of him, knowing that he still had more to save but also that he wouldn't miss the one right in front of him.
Jesus walked and achieved everything that he set out to do. Maybe you are sprinting today, maybe you have been running at a fast pace for years. But you don't have to; slowing down might be the thing that you have been missing all along.
 | Sean Lord is a pastor, husband, and father. He enjoys writing about leadership, theology, and ministry. He served in the U.S. Marine Corps and currently pastors at one of the largest churches in the U.S. He spends much of his time mentoring and coaching pastors as well as leaders outside of the church. Learn More » |
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