Being a leader has tough moments, but plenty of rewards too. There is the joy of helping people to reach their potential or to press on to new heights. You might see great goals accomplished. Ministry carries the additional privilege of pointing people to hope in the gospel of Christ and walking beside them as they fight for faith. Preaching supplies rich rewards of studying God’s word and opening it before a congregation. Yes, leadership is replete with joys, even in the midst of great difficulty.
But if those rewards are what get you out of bed in the morning, you won’t last too long.
Dreams Delayed
Let me tell you the story of my friend, Larry. Larry was a pastor who loved his local church. He loved to care for and lead the congregation, and he loved to be with his family. But since Larry was about six, he dreamed of traveling. These dreams were nurtured by a lot of trips to the airport. “I’d watch my dad walk down the jetway,” Larry recalls, “and I thought it was a magic tunnel. I’d imagine all the adventure it held. I’d think, “There’s so much adventure out there, and one day I want to do that.”
As Larry finished high school, his dreams of travel never disappeared, but he dropped out of college and didn’t have a lot of direction. He managed mini-golf courses, did some landscaping on the side, and occasionally painted houses or built decks. It’s safe to say that travel wasn’t on his radar screen.
At the age of twenty-one, Larry was converted. Led to Christ by a friend whose life had been dramatically changed by the gospel, he felt a deep sense of destiny. Then Larry met Marilyn, the woman who eventually became his wife. She encouraged Larry toward an active trust in God that brought risk-taking for the gospel into view. His first major step was to simply finish his college degree. Then they made some big sacrifices to help start a church.
Larry’s dreams of traveling hadn’t changed, but he increasingly felt a call to vocational ministry, which was confirmed by others. Eventually, he took a staff position at his new church and settled into a life of no-travel local church ministry. Ministry was exciting, but he yearned for the harvest in other places, too.
Dreams Satisfied
In a meeting one day, Larry heard about an upcoming mission trip to India. Because of his long-held dream of travel, he stepped out in faith and expressed his interest in going on the trip. Six months later, he was on a plane to northern India—his first-ever international trip.
What happened on that trip cemented a remarkable milepost in Larry’s life. Larry discovered he didn’t simply like to travel. He loved going to places the average American would work really hard to avoid. Long story short, the call on Larry’s life to this “sent” ministry eventually became so pronounced that others in ministry thought it wise to position him in a larger church where his travel wouldn’t conflict with the needs of the local congregation. Larry-the-homebody became Ambassador Larry.
Here’s the thing: It was twenty-two years after Larry became a Christian before God finally opened these doors to his dream. During that time, Larry says, “God showed me my selfishness. For all those years, my ambition for travel was rooted in my own desires.” But waiting made the satisfied dream sweeter. “Every time I got on a plane, I shook my head thinking I can’t believe I get to do this.”
Several years ago, Larry went home to Jesus. But his example still speaks by reminding us of something important. Impatience and expedience towards our dreams feed entitlement, “I have a right to do this. I need it. This fulfills me.” But as desires move towards God, we find ourselves exhibiting the peaceable wisdom from above. We gain perspective by recognizing what Larry realized. “I don’t need it; instead, I’ll serve wherever and however I can. This glorifies God.”
The secret to long-lasting ministry and leadership is to look to the rewards. Not necessarily the ones we enjoy in this life (though those are nice and help to keep us going!), but the eternal ones God promises to those who seek him. Those are the rewards Larry is enjoying right now.
Today’s Tenacious Question
Consider your current ministry and/or leadership work, and think about some of the rewards of your labor you have recently enjoyed. How can those rewards direct your hope to greater rewards yet to come? And how might looking to those help you make it through more difficult times?
Prayer
Heavenly Father, you promise that you reward those who seek you. Teach me what it means to seek rewards in a way that glorifies you and helps me faithfully fulfill the calling you have put on my life. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Photo by Eva Darron on Unsplash
