Mars Hill did not handle conflict well. If your leader cannot be questioned or corrected by her elders, she’s in a desperate state. Preachers and pastors must learn how to deal with conflict since most of their job will be mediating conflict in marriages, between Christians, among pastors, and in our own lives.
Your position of power is never an excuse to use the useful only to discard them when they disagree or question your decisions. Every elder team should take classes or attend seminars on biblical conflict resolution or conciliation. If you don’t resolve conflict, it will rot your ministry from the middle.
5. Know the Difference Between Intent and Impact.
Proverbs 28:13: “Whoever conceals his transgressions will not prosper, but he who confesses and forsakes them will obtain mercy.”
It’s not sufficient to excuse your negative impact as a leader by claiming your motive or intentions were good. A good leader is honest with his intentions, and willingly owns his impact, even when his intentions are good.
I’m not saying repent for that which is not sin, but leaders may, at times, have a good motive but harm others without malice. Mature leadership is able to say, “Whether or not my motive was pure, my impact was poor, and I need to take accountability for it.”
6. How You Do What You Do Is More Important Than What You Accomplish.
Proverbs 14:12: “There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death.”
Success is not the ultimate goal, faithfulness is. It matters to the Lord how we do what we do for him. He wants us to be leaders of integrity, not excuse-makers who justify our underhanded ways by pointing to our results.
7. Don’t Let Your Insecurity Make You Proud as a Planter.
1 Kings 20:11: “And the king of Israel answered, ‘Tell him, “Let not him who straps on his armor boast himself as he who takes it off.”‘”
Too often young men compensate for their lack of experience and success by exaggerating their gifts and competence. They talk brashly, brag unnecessarily, bully those weaker, and strut around as if they have it all together when deep inside they are frightened, insecure, and unhealthy men.
What’s worse is when those same men experience success. It only exasperates their condition by justifying their pride.
Deal with your insecurity or don’t plant or pastor a church. I’m not suggesting you’ll get it all, but if you need ministry success to make you feel whole, you’ll use your church rather than serve her.
8. Know the Difference Between the Gifts of the Spirit and the Fruit of the Spirit.
Galatians 5:22–23: “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.”
