3. Lead the church because of disciple-making instead of decision-making.
Your role in this life is not to be a person who simply pushes a mass of people down a path toward a preferential future. By virtue of being a believer first and a leader second, we all have the responsibility to make disciples.
Stop trying to make congregational decisions your main objective. Make disciples your life’s priority.
4. Don’t believe the hype.
All of the leaders that speak at conferences, write books (and blogs), and lead networks or denominations are all experiencing the pains associated with leadership. We tend to look at them and their churches through rose-colored glasses; and we are usually the ones that impose the hype on them.
But each of the well-known leaders will tell us that they have walked through just as many fires and fought just as many battles as you have. They are trusting God for the growth in their church just as we have to do the same in our churches.
5. Focus on personal spiritual formation.
Envy is a mask. It hides our own weaknesses and insecurities. Every time I face the envy of my own heart, it often stems from the desire to escape facing a weakness and have it instantly substituted with success.
The only way through the issue of envy is to admit the sinfulness of it. Admit that you have created a ministerial idol and ask the Holy Spirit’s help in tearing it down. Then, seek after God as the sufficient answer for security and meaning in ministry.
6. Settle down.
God has given you an assignment and He will make you competent to complete it. Envy comes when we are anxious.
I was recently reminded by Marty Duren of a great statement once made by Eugene Peterson: “Discipleship is a long obedience in the same direction.”
Settle down and settle in for the long haul of walking with our Master.
