Leaders

I've been taking a leadership class with a pastor I had the opportunity to intern under back in college. Tomorrow is the last day of class for the summer, but it's been an incredible first half. I've begun to see things about me, and about my past ministry assignments that God is using to mold be into the leader He created me to be.

This past week we were in small groups discussing the reading assignment and I shared with the group something that hit me this week. "You can only lead people as far as you've been" is a saying I've heard, and said, a lot over the last few years. It's something we as pastors have to keep in mind as we lead the congregations God has entrusted to us. If we don't continue to grow in our faith, if we don't continue to become more like Christ, then how can we lead others to deeper faith and more Christlikeness?

As I thought about that quote my mind, like most people's probably, went to a mountain trail. If you're going to lead a group of people up a mountain, you don't just explore the trail once. You do it dozens if not hundreds of times. You walk it repeatedly until you know every inch of the trail. You know every rock and divot in the path. You know when it's easy climbing and when it gets harder. You know every obstacle along the way. You KNOW the path you're leading people up.

You can only lead people as far as you've been. This is true, but I don't think you take people to the very edge of the territory you've been to. If you go to the edge, you've got no idea what's around the corner. You don't know if the path ends and goes over a cliff in twenty feet. You don't know if there is a barbarian camp just over the next hill. You don't know if there is a rapidly flowing river. You can't take people to the edge.

A good leader has been farther than he takes his followers. A good leader says, "Ok, this is where we're going to camp tonight. I've explored the upcoming miles, and I know that this is a safe place to rest." Good leaders have to stay ahead of the people. Good leaders have to know where the path leads. If we don't, then we get to the point where it's new to us and to those who follow us, when that happens we are no longer leaders, and we all end up lost.

Peace be with you