Issue #36, July 21, 2010
Everyone longs to feel significant and to know that their life has purpose. Many leaders find this purpose in their performance, but servant leaders discover the power of leading with purpose.
Paul provides this perspective for servant leaders when he says, “Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.” (1 Cor. 15:58)
What a powerful statement, “Your labor in the Lord is not in vain.” Your leadership is not empty or without meaning. What does it mean to lead with purpose?
Leading with purpose begins with relationship.
Paul recognizes that the work his readers are doing is “of the Lord” and “in the Lord.” Servant leaders find purpose in their work because it is not their work but the work of Jesus. This is not just for church workers; it is for every servant leader who is consumed with passion to make his/her life count for God. Factory workers, teachers, professionals, and farmers all labor “in the Lord.” Do you see your leadership as working for Jesus?
Leading with purpose focuses on the work instead of results.
Leaders love results and work hard for them. When things are going well all leaders love the question, “How are things going?” We love to report that the business is growing, the church is expanding, or the income is increasing. These results validate our work and make us feel worthwhile. But what happens when the results are not there? Many leaders become discouraged and feel like failures. With every stock market crash a few leaders commit suicide. In less dramatic ways, after a discouraging experience in the church, a pastor quits or a business leader is depressed after looking at the quarterly report.
But Paul doesn’t say anything about results. He simply says, “Your labor in the Lord is not in vain.” He implies that our purpose does not come from the fruit of our labor but from the focus of our labor. Servant leaders focus on the fact that their labor is “in the Lord” and therefore has purpose beyond visible results. They have a different “bottom line.” They recognize that obedience is more important than results. The numbers matter, but servant leaders look at different statistics. They look at the quality of the fruit of the Spirit in their life and the ways they are walking more closely to the Lord.
Does this mean that results are unimportant? Of course not! We all desire positive results and God is concerned with numbers. But we lose our focus if we measure only results and forget that we are leading for Jesus. Do you measure success by obedience or results?
Leading with purpose produces perseverance.
Paul challenges us, “Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord.” He is saying, keep going through the good times and the bad. Don’t let the economic downturn change your focus. Don’t measure your value by the size of your following. Don’t let your net worth determine your self worth. Servant leaders are able to persevere in their work because they are leading with purpose. Are you able to persevere even when you don’t see results?
Whether you’re facing intense financial challenges, disheartening statistics, declining numbers or rejection….keep going, you are leading with a purpose. It is not in vain!
For further reflection and discussion:
- Do I find my value from the numbers and results of my leadership or from Jesus?
- What happens deep inside me when the numbers are down and the results are not what I desired? How do I find strength to keep going?
- How can I measure the fruit that God desires in my life? Are these numbers increasing?