The Cost of Leadership Part 2

This is part 2 in The Cost of Leadership series. If you missed it, read part 1 here.

Cost 2: the cost of priority changes. If we are living to serve Christ in every aspect of our lives, there will be a refocus on what is most important. Remember, serving Christ covers every assignment He gives us. This includes family, community, workplace, and church. But priorities within each of these areas will change once we submit them to God.

One way there is change is how we look at immediacy and waiting.  Although there are times that God will ask us to use whatever wisdom we have to make a quick decision, in a few circumstances, more often, we learn to give up expecting instant answers and wait on God’s timing. These are always opportunities to trust the Lord as we ask for clarification for next steps.

Another way priorities may change is in our expectations for perfectionism as opposed to reality. Being one who leans toward wanting everything perfect, I have had to learn to accept the reality that it will NEVER be perfect. Rather than wasting a current real time experience wishing it had been better, I can enjoy what God is doing and pray for wisdom to know how to make necessary changes if those are needed for next time. The Lord doesn’t expect “perfect” this side of heaven, so why do we think we can accomplish “perfect?”

A third priority that may need to change is letting go of good things to be able to do the better things God is asking. Serving Christ includes unending opportunities to do things that are beneficial for His kingdom. But what if He is asking us to work on a better thing? We must give up the lesser thing to accomplish His better purpose.

The last priority I will mention here, although there are many others, is the priority of tasks or people. Because of administrative skills and organized ways of thinking and working, my first inclination is toward the task at hand. Often when I do this, I missed the more important part of leading: that of the hearts of people. Yes, we need people who can get a job done, but we must balance that with people who see faces and hearts first. Both tasks and people are important, but I believe Jesus has shown us that throughout the gospels that His first priority was people…and He always got the task completed, didn’t He?

There are various priorities that Jesus will ask us to consider. Ask Him which of your current priorities line up with His purpose as you seek to lead for His glory.

Check back next week for Part 3. Click here for the entire series.

Banner photo by Rob Wingate on Unsplash