Leading in a sinful environment

Tom Harper July 25, 2023

my saved content

VIEW AS
A PDF

As a leader, dealing with sin in others is every bit as difficult and frustrating as fighting our own.

Perhaps the best way to handle this sin, other than with wisdom and grace, is to understand it is the root of most people problems in an organization.

Just look around:

"The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy…" (Gal. 5:19-21a).

Lest we think we're above these "obvious" sins, listen to Paul the Apostle's admission:

"What I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do" (Rom 7:15).
Why we will always have people problems!

It's sad, true and unavoidable. We ourselves are sinful beyond measure, as are all our coworkers, family members and friends.

But there's good news, and a charge for all Christian leaders:

"While we were still sinners, Christ died for us" (Rom. 5:8).
With such love shown me, my #leadership must reflect it to others.

With the world's sin never more prevalent or accepted, may the Lord bless your leadership in these dark times.

Excerpted from Servant Leader Strong: Uniting Biblical Wisdom and High-Performance Leadership, by Tom Harper (DeepWater Books, 2019). Also available in Spanish and Amharic.

my saved content

VIEW AS
A PDF

Tom Harper is publisher of BiblicalLeadership.com and executive chairman of Networld Media Group, a business-to-business publisher and event producer. He has written five books, including Servant Leader Strong: Uniting Biblical Wisdom and High-Performance Leadership (DeepWater Books, 2019) as well as the Christian business fable Through Colored Glasses and its sequel Inner Threat (DeepWater, 2022). Learn More »

• Journaling can lift you to new heights (by Eric Daniel)
• Did you ever use one of these to share your faith? (by Tom Crenshaw)
• When preaching solutions, do these two things first (by Mark MacDonald)
• How smartphones have been used toward a torrent of cyberbullying (by Thom Rainer)

Free eBook

Steps to Launching Your Personal Workplace Ministry

Have you ever felt the pull to full-time ministry work as a missionary or pastor? If not, you can still make a Kingdom impact without quitting your current job. In this eBook, you will learn the four essentials that can change your perspective of work, your workplace, and most importantly, your heart.

Download Now