Home Pastors Articles for Pastors The Painful Secret All Great Leaders Share

The Painful Secret All Great Leaders Share

In reality, the more spiritually immature leaders are, the more they will brag about accomplishments; the more mature they are, the more they will brag about their weaknesses and glorify Christ’s grace that empowers them!

Finally, understanding these concepts should help us in two areas.

First, instead of discouraging leaders, this should be a great source of encouragement since many leaders suffer silently because they are embarrassed and think they are the only leaders continually dealing with painful issues, something Satan can use to cause a leader to quit out of sheer discouragement and a sense of failure.

Leaders should take heart and know that they are not alone in their pain. To the extent a leader has influence, to that extent they will have to endure the process of pain so their gifts and abilities can be continually redeemed for the glory and honor of God.

Second, the key to discovering and dealing with the dominant sin issues in our lives is to honestly reflect on our talents, gifts and abilities and how we have trusted in them to manipulate others, control our environments for self-autonomy, and to carve out a name for ourselves.

This is similar to how Lucifer attempted to do the same when his pride motivated him to attempt to exalt himself above the throne of God for self-autonomy and self-glorification (Isaiah 14:12-14).

Understanding this enables us to have a greater understanding and appreciation for the depths and riches of the love and grace of God, who loves us and even uses the very abilities that have been connected to our self-glorification, fleshly preservation and desires to carve out names for ourselves.

This tendency must constantly be checked with challenges, obstacles and the issues of life. God surrounds power with problems so that, by the time we have power and influence, we have become so broken, humble and dependent upon God that we would not be so quick to share the glory with God for the great accomplishments that arise out of our feeble efforts!