Issue #44, November 17, 2010
Perseverance is a great attribute of leadership and the apostle Paul is a great example of this attribute. But servant leaders also know when their time is up and they should change direction. Luke’s simple statement of his experience with Paul provides profound insights for servant leaders. “But when our time was up, we left…” (Acts 21:5) What characteristics do leaders need to have in order to recognize when their time is up?
Sensitivity to God’s timing.
Paul knew that God’s plan for him was to keep moving towards Jerusalem. He enjoyed the fellowship of friends, but realized that his time was up with them. Servant leaders who are sensitive to God’s voice are able to hear that it’s time to move on. Business leaders are able to hear Him whisper that it’s time to sell the business or stop a product line before it is apparent to others what is happening. Church leaders can hear His voice whisper that it’s time to move on to another field of ministry.
God’s timing is often predictable. He uses us in leadership until we have equipped others to carry on the work and then He calls us to move on. But other times God’s timing may go against our intuition and requires keen sensitivity to His voice. We may be in the midst of a season of great fruitfulness when God asks us to leave. This was the experience of Philip in Samaria. (See Acts 8:5-26) This sensitivity is developed as leaders take time to deliberately hear the voice of God and His direction for their leadership.
To think about: Is God calling you to persevere, or is He calling you to move on?
Willingness to radically obey.
Paul had to tear himself away from relationships that were very precious to him and go against the pleadings of dear friends to follow God’s timing in his journey to Jerusalem. He even heard prophets warning him of the cost and asking him to reconsider his plans but he followed God in total obedience.
Servant leaders must be willing to take steps of radical obedience when the time is up especially in situations that are counter intuitive. This does not mean that they ignore Godly mentors and the counsel of others but they must be secure enough to leave their comfort zone and walk in obedience. It is costly to obey, especially after organizations have been established and develop traditions. Obedience is often replaced with convenience. Programs that have served well in the past may need to be abandoned because their time is up. Methods that produced great results may likewise need to be abandoned. Servant leaders are particularly vulnerable to preserve the status quo because of their love for people and their heart to keep people happy.
To think about: Are you willing to obey even when you don’t understand?
Openness to new opportunities.
Leaders who know when to move on open the door to many new opportunities. Paul’s insistence on going to Jerusalem eventually opened the door for him to preach the Gospel in Rome, the world capital. In addition, we still benefit from the books he wrote while in prison that would not have been written if he would have stayed in Tyre for more fellowship with dear friends. The security of the known often keeps us from the opportunities of the unknown. When we hear God and move on, it may open doors for other leaders to develop. It may keep our focus outward instead of inward. It may broaden our network of relationships used to further the Kingdom of God. It may open new doors for greater profitability or Kingdom expansion.
To think about: What might you miss by not being willing to move on?
For further reflection and discussion:
- What is my personal tendency as a leader, to stay too long or to leave too early? (Identifying personal inclination can help a leader recognize whether to work more on perseverance or leaving.)
- Are there places I am currently serving in which God is saying “Your time is up?”
- What is the result when leaders should move on but refuse to leave?
- Are there programs/products/traditions in my organization that have outlived their usefulness? What keeps me/us from acknowledging that their time is up?
- What happens when programs or methods which should be discarded are allowed to remain?