The Spiritual Life of a Leader Continued - OutofThisWorldLeadership.com

Click here to return to Blog Post Intro

Becoming the Spiritual Leader You Want to Be

Most books on leadership miss this truth: you’ll become a better leader as you become a better person.

The best leaders have a high level of spiritual maturity—they’ve learned to walk with God in intimacy and let that relationship spill into their leadership style. The bottom line is that spiritually mature leadership begins with an intimate, vibrant, and growing relationship with God.

In his book Monday Morning Atheist, my friend Doug Spada points out that many of us attend church on Sunday so we can check off the spiritual responsibilities on our to-do lists.

Spiritually mature leaders always ask this important question: Where is the Holy Spirit in what we’re doing?

George Whitefield, the great eighteenth-century English Anglican evangelist, who traveled all over the American colonies preaching untold sermons and shared the gospel with millions of people on two continents, put it this way: “Lord Jesus, I am weary in thy work but not of thy work.”

Spiritually mature leadership means being “carefully careless” about many things in our lives, including our responsibilities, by focusing on the unseen—the spiritual realities that underlie everything else.

Part One: The Spiritual Lifestyle of a Leader

Priority for Every Leader

People who aren’t spiritual can’t receive these truths from God’s Spirit. It all sounds foolish to them and they can’t understand it, for only those who are spiritual can understand what the Spirit means. 1 Corinthians 2:14

The delicate and the refined natural man receives not the things of the Spirit of God. – Charles Spurgeon

It’s possible to become so overly familiar with our faith that we drift away from daily dependence on the Holy Spirit, the most necessary thing for understanding and applying the truths of God in our lives and in our leadership. In our familiarity, we can get complacent about our relationship with God and listening to His leading.

In his classic book Experiencing God, Henry Blackaby asserts, “It’s not enough to just know about God; we need to be in intimate daily fellowship with Him.” Our first priority should be to experience a deep and abiding friendship with God.

Spiritual receptivity means submitting to the Holy Spirit’s prodding in order to preempt our pride. We need to be humble. Instead of just depending on the latest data or how wise and knowledgeable we think we are, we must process everything through prayer. Praying opens up our perspective to see things the way God sees them and to do things the way God would do them.

So, what is the primary goal we’re striving to reach as leaders? It’s nothing less than embracing a level of communion with God that will ultimately affect the community of people we serve as leaders. It’s becoming more loving and Christlike in everything we do.

True spirituality always begins with the question every leader needs to ask those they lead: “How can I serve you?”

Spiritually Mature Leaders…

learn to listen for and hear the voice of the Spirit in all their dealings with others,
spend time sitting at the feet of the Savior to let Him teach them, especially on how to lead,
pursue a clear spiritual vision for their own life, their ministry, and their business,
focus on the practical steps necessary to reach their spiritual goals, and
understand that serving others, including those whom they’re called to lead, is the key to true spirituality.

Abiding and Bearing Fruit

Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me. – John 15:4

[The believer’s] union with his Lord is no work of human wisdom or human will, but an act of God. – Andrew Murray

In general, “abide by” signifies to adhere to, maintain, defend, or stand to, as to abide by a promise, or by a friend.

In his classic book Abiding in Christ, Andrew Murray reminds his readers that the work of God’s grace places believers in a position of abiding in Christ and remaining in Christ.

To abide is to be present in His presence—or as the great spiritual writer Brother Lawrence spoke of this experience, to “practice the presence of God.”

Abide in God and He will abide in you!

An important part of being still and listening is studying and applying the Scriptures to our lives. Reading the Bible is often a passport into God’s presence, for we find Him within His Word. Dusty Bibles lead to dirty lives, but well-used Bibles lead to lives God can use.

Spiritually Mature Leaders…

bring the peace that comes from practicing the presence of God into every encounter with those they lead,
teach those they lead how to stay in step with God rather than rushing ahead or lagging behind, also demonstrating the value of faithful waiting,
pursue sustained sensitivity toward God by abiding in His presence,
make prayer a priority, and
model a life of dependence on God as the key to fruitfulness in their life.

Putting People First

To care means first of all to empty our own cup and to allow the other to come close to us. – Henri Nouwen

Spiritual leaders grow in their love for others by praying for ways to love them. This is a simple but profound way to become a better leader—engage with those you lead by praying for them!

As Henri Nouwen wrote, “To die to our neighbors means to stop judging them, to stop evaluating them, and thus to become free to be compassionate. Compassion can never coexist with judgment because judgment creates the distance, the distinction, which prevents us from really being with the other.”

First, we should ask the Lord to break our hearts with the things that break His heart.

Second, we need to get to know the people suffering and try to understand the circumstances that led to their lack. We need to become a true friend to them.

Third, we can help them assess their assets (gifts and talents, time, experience, and so on) and learn how they can leverage them to move forward.

Last, we can look for businesses and ministries finding success in models for building financial sustainability for the poor and disadvantaged and learn what we can from them.

Spiritually Mature Leaders…

commit themselves to regular prayer for those they lead,
remember that loving Jesus is best done through loving people,
celebrate the victories and recoveries of others, without judgment or criticism,
help others who are capable learn how to help themselves, and
see the needs of those they work with as an opportunity for serving them and educating them in the tools they need for success.

The Power of Vulnerability

No vulnerability, no creativity. No tolerance for failure, no innovation. It is that simple. If you’re not willing to fail, you can’t innovate. If you’re not willing to build a vulnerable culture, you can’t create. – Brene’ Brown

Generous love originates in our generous God. He is always giving. He gives grace when we don’t deserve it. He gives mercy when we don’t deserve it. And He gives kindness when we certainly don’t deserve it. Most of all, though, He gives His love when we’re hard to love. A love that calms our troubled hearts, soothes our stressed spirits, and infuses a supernatural peace in our minds.

Love asks these vulnerable questions:

How did I make you feel loved last week?
How can I make you feel loved this week?
How can I pray for you?

Asking questions is the key that opens a door to understanding and building healthy relationships. Asking them isn’t always easy and efficient, but it is always effective. Ask God questions like these three:

Lord, how do You love me right now?
Jesus, how do You want me to love those who are hard to love?
Father, I feel rejected by a friend. How do You feel about me?

Spiritually Mature Leaders…

offer a particularly high level of love and generosity toward those they find the hardest to deal with,
draw on God’s love and acceptance to learn to show love and acceptance toward others,
learn to ask the kind of questions that invite vulnerability in others,
are willing to risk vulnerability in their relationships with others, and
strive to be a “safe place” for honest conversations.

Vulnerability and Humility

The trouble is with me, for I am all too human, a slave to sin. I don’t really understand myself, for I want to do what is right, but I don’t do it. Instead, I do what I hate. – Romans 7:14-15

Vulnerability is the birthplace of love, belonging, joy, courage, empathy, and creativity. It is the source of hope, empathy, accountability, and authenticity. If we want greater clarity in our purpose or deeper and more meaningful spiritual lives, vulnerability is the path. – Brene’ Brown

Leaders can show vulnerable love in three major ways:

Vulnerable love invests time. Love can be spelled T-I-M-E. When someone is hurting, vulnerable leaders show up, shut up, and listen up.
Vulnerable love earns trust. You can’t claim or demand trust; it must be earned; it must be built.
Vulnerable love offers truth. Let’s face it—sometimes people don’t seem ready to hear the truth about a challenging situation or about themselves. But truth offered from a heart of love can transform a situation or change a life.

As leaders, we don’t always need to have all the answers. But we do need to be vulnerable enough to show those we lead that we care about them—not just as followers or coworkers but as people. Effective leaders realize they don’t know everything and need wisdom from above to guide others.

As Jesus said, “If you have a lofty opinion of yourself and seek to be honored, you will be humbled. But if you have a modest opinion of yourself and choose to humble yourself, you will be honored” (Matthew 23:12). Yes, pride will catch up with us if we don’t continue to seek humility.

Spiritually Mature Leaders…

invest time, earn trust, and offer truth,
speak openly and honestly with God and others,
put aside pride and strive for true humility,
remember that God can use their imperfections for His purposes, and
look for ways to connect others to Christ: a prayer, a listening ear, an encouraging gift, a creative idea, or an insightful truth.

Balancing Leadership and Life

Just as the body is dead without breath, so also is faith dead without good works. – James 2:26

Works follow faith as day follows night, and their source is the indwelling Holy Spirit working in the depths of our hearts. – C.S. Lewis

As James 2:18 puts it, “But someone will say, ‘You have faith; I have deeds.’ Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds.” This reminds us that we show our faith by our deeds. Sometimes the hardest thing, though, is taking the first step.

We can all pray, God give me the courage to take the first step, and then the next one. I trust You to do Your work of love through me.

Spiritually Mature Leaders…

take the first step and trust God to help them take the ones that follow,
make their family a priority,
learn to love and live by the Word of God,
practice generosity in both financial and practical ways, and
worship through their work.

Part Two: The Spiritual Qualities of a Leader

Love Gives Generously

For God so loved the world that he gave… – John 3:16

The foundation of great leadership is good character.

In Galatians 5:22, the apostle Paul enumerates nine qualities he labels “the fruit of the Spirit”: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Just looking over the list, we all recognize that we often fall short in many of these areas. And that’s why it’s important to remember that these character qualities are the fruit of “the Spirit,” not the result of our natural tendencies and gifts.

Love Keeps Giving

The first spiritual fruit listed is love, and it’s likely first because it’s the basis for all the others. Love is the quality that leads us to put the needs of other people before our own, and an effective spiritual leader cares for and serves others with love.

Three areas where love should always keep giving:

Time. As Bailey suggested earlier, the word love can also be spelled T-I-M-E.
Trust. Trust is the basis of every strong and growing relationship with any other person.
Truth. Truth is a gift of love not always cheerfully received.

Spiritually Mature Leaders…

give the time necessary to get to know others and allow themselves to be known, in the process experiencing rich relationship,
build trust through dependability,
love others out of their own gratitude to God,
find the source of their ability to love in God, and
relentlessly pursue love for God and love for others.

Joy Energizes Emotional Life

The Lord is my strength and shield. I trust him with all my heart. He helps me, and my heart is filled with joy. I burst out in songs of thanksgiving. – Psalm 28:7

The apostle Paul had a succinct command for the Christians at Thessalonica: “Always be joyful” (1 Thessalonians 5:16).

Rest in God’s Refuge

Rest can be the easiest thing for a busy leader to neglect, but it’s essential, and we can’t do without it.

As the psalmist proclaims, “Let all who take refuge in you rejoice; let them sing joyful praises forever. Spread your protection over them, that all who love your name may be filled with joy” (Psalm 5:11).

Spiritually Mature Leaders…

embrace the joy of working first and foremost for God,
understand that joy can transform a workplace,
set a positive example for how to overcome obstacles in a constructive way,
realize that work is a wonderful, God-given gift that provides people with a purpose, and
trust God to change their mourning into dancing!

Peace Calms the Heart

Only a peaceful heart can overcome a tired body and heavy mind. – Vishal Singh

Jesus said, “Blessed are the peacemakers” (Matthew 5:9 – see my summary here), and perhaps that’s truer now than ever before. An effective spiritual leader knows how to be an instrument of God’s peace.

In a biblical sense, true peace isn’t just the absence of conflict but a presence that brings healing and draws people together.

If you want to bring His peace into the world around you, these four things can help you do that:

Choose to believe in the fullness of God’s love.
Don’t look to the world for validation.
Be acquainted with trust.
Know how to surrender to God’s plan.

If you want to consider the extent to which you are a peacemaker in all the spheres of your life, consider these six indicators, as outlined by Shana Schutte on Bailey’s blog, Wisdom Hunters:

Peacemakers seek to be the first to forgive.
Peacemakers focus on their own responsibility in peacemaking.
Peacemakers know a blessing is in peacemaking.
Peacemakers understand the difference between peacemaking and peacekeeping.
Peacemakers aren’t puffed up with pride, demanding to be heard, believing they’re right and seeking justice.
Peacemakers don’t unnecessarily rush into conflict, thereby creating more problems.

Spiritually Mature Leaders…

offer themselves to God as an instrument of peace,
understand the power of compassionate and empathetic listening,
know inner peace through their own relationship with God,
are peacemakers, not just peacekeepers, and
learn the skills needed for reconciliation.

Patience Waits on God’s Best

Finishing is better than starting. Patience is better than pride. – Ecclesiastes 7:8

When we have a growing faith, we can see the problems in our path as an opportunity to develop a more complete character and deepen our trust in God. We learn to not just passively endure but to actively persevere through every challenge.

As Proverbs 15:18 tells us, “A quick-tempered person stirs up dissension, but one who is slow to anger calms a quarrel.” Anger stirs up; patience calms down. Anger has an axe to grind; patience smooths over offenses and disagreements. Anger reacts in the moment; patience takes the time needed to process.

As Proverbs says, “Patient persistence pierces through indifference; gentle speech breaks down rigid defenses” (Proverbs 25:15)

As Patrick Morley reminds us men, “Most marriage problems would disappear if we would simply [patiently] speak to our wives with the same kindness, courtesy, forethought, and respect with which we speak to our coworkers.”

Patience gives the benefit of the doubt and doesn’t rush to judgment.

Spiritually Mature Leaders…

know the difference between passive endurance and active perseverance,
understand the spiritual value of waiting,
strive to balance the active life and the contemplative life,
diffuse anger with patience, and
learn to look past imperfections and see the potential in people.

Kindness Respects Everyone

Be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you. – Ephesians 4:32

As Proverbs 11:17 reminds us, kindness leads to restoration in our souls and in our relationships with others, while cruelty just brings ruin.

Paul gave this instruction to Timothy: “The Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful” (2 Timothy 2:24).

Pope Francis calls for a proactive kindness, a kindness in action. This sort of kindness steps into life’s battles not as a combatant but as a healer.

“Be kind,” says the wise old saying, “for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle.”

Kindness heals and kindness brings hope. And kindness leads to greater success. (See my summary of The Hidden Power of Kindness.)

Spiritually Mature Leaders…

respond in kindness rather than responding in kind,
recognize that everyone is fighting their own difficult battles,
are proactive with kindness, not passive,
find practical ways to show their care and compassion, and
understand that their kindness is a reflection of God’s kindness toward them.

Goodness Helps Others Become Their Best

I myself am convinced, my brothers and sisters, that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with knowledge and competent to instruct one another. – Romans 15:14

Goodness isn’t about following a set of rules or principles. It’s about following Jesus. Following Him recognizes that He is the moral authority over what is defined as good.

Doing the right thing is more than being a “do-gooder.” It’s the sign of someone committed to Jesus, whose goodness gives them the influence to change the world on His behalf.

Can we do what Paul encouraged in Philippians 2:3-4? “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of others.”

Spiritually Mature Leaders…

know goodness comes from the heart of God,
don’t just follow principles and rule but seek the best of God’s will,
understand that we must each do our best and then leave the rest to God,
think the best of others in the hope they’ll think the best of them, and
try to see others through God’s eyes, finding potential in everyone.

Faithfulness Finishes Well

You need God’s direction before you can prosper in anything you do. However, it takes your choices to begin; it takes your passion to stay on; it also takes your integrity to finish it well! – Israelmore Ayivor

Finishing well doesn’t happen without good planning, and certainly not without counting the cost.

Faithfulness is doing what you said you would do. It’s an integrity issue, and commitments are not to be taken lightly.

Spiritually Mature Leaders…

understand that their everyday choices are the key to finishing well,
know that God is looking for passion more than perfection,
realize that others are always paying attention to their actions,
seek to be faithful every day in every way, and
stay focused on the ultimate reward of faithfulness—pleasing God.

Gentleness Comforts Hurting Hearts

Your God says to you: Comfort, comfort my people with gentle, compassionate words. Speak tenderly from the heart. – Isaiah 40:1-2

I’m here. I love you. I don’t care if you need to stay up crying all night long, I will stay with you. If you need the medication again, go ahead and take it—I will love you through that, as well. If you don’t need the medication, I will love you, too. There’s nothing you can ever do to lose my love. I will protect you until you die, and after your death I will still protect you. I am stronger than Depression and I am braver than Loneliness and nothing will ever exhaust me. – Elizabeth Gilbert, Eat, Pray, Love

A gentle approach is most often the best way to achieve the goals we’re trying to reach. Often gentleness isn’t our first instinct when we’re dealing with a problem person.

Like Jesus, good leaders know they must use their power carefully. Gentle and humble leaders use their position to serve others and help them be their best.

Gentleness is another word for graciousness. We grow gentler as we grow in grace. Grace is the engine that powers a gentle heart, and gracious words are the fruit of a life rooted in God.

We are governed by gentleness when the cadence of our conversation isn’t high-pitched with rapid-fire reactions. So take the time to respond rather than just react.

Spiritually Mature Leaders…

refuse to use fear and intimidation to get people to do what they want them to do,
listen carefully and compassionately to the hurt in other people’s hearts,
apply words of comfort as a tourniquet for those who suffer cuts inflicted by betrayal, lies, or abuse,
lean on God for comfort so they have a reservoir of compassion for others, and
know the power of pausing, quieting their soul, and praying so they can speak from a place of Spirit-led gentleness.

Self-Control Channels Passion Appropriately

Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others. In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus. – Philippians 2:3-5

No conflict is so severe as his who labors to subdue himself. – Thomas À Kempis

The self-controlled leader has a plan. And when you have a plan and have things under control, you’ve created margin to help others and make a difference in their lives. Watch out for the kind of busyness that keeps you hopping but isn’t going anywhere meaningful. Learn to be more intentional with your time. Carefully and prayerfully work on your agenda. You’ll waste less time, you’ll get more done, and you’ll be able to serve others through your work.

Lack of self-control puts us squarely in the crosshairs of the enemy of our souls. At its root, self-control comes in staying reliant on the Holy Spirit.

As a leader, you need to have a high standard of self-control over self-indulgence. Let your life be an example of passion well placed and the freedom of self-control. (Check out my post on the importance of self-control to a leader.)

Spiritually Mature Leaders…

understand and embrace the power of self-control,
are aware that lack of self-control is one of the weapons our Enemy can use,
know that true freedom includes freedom from being controlled by their desires,
model the quality of self-control for everyone on their team, and
replace self-reliance and self-indulgence with Spirit-reliance and self-control.

Spiritual Leadership Insights from Ken Boa (Author of The Perfect Leader)

There are three biblical metaphors for leadership. The leader is a steward, a shepherd, and a servant. A steward is someone who is managing the affairs and the resources of another. The shepherd is the one who has been given the position of oversight. And a servant sees service as his practice. So we all are called in one respect or another to be a leader in those dynamics.

Part Three: The Spiritual Practices of a Leader

Conversational Prayer

In order to keep me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” – 2 Corinthians 12:7-9

Prayer is the natural outgushing of a soul in communion with Jesus. Just as the leaf and the fruit will come out of the vine-branch without any conscious effort on the part of the branch, but simply because of its living union with the stem, so prayer buds, and blossoms, and fruits out of souls abiding in Jesus. – Charles Spurgeon

Prayer isn’t complicated. It’s simply a dialogue with God, an intimate conversation with Him, and a means of staying connected with His heart. It’s also a means for getting things done, for bringing God’s resources to bear on the things that concern us.

The mark of mature followers of Jesus is that their prayers become ever more childlike. They realize they’re helplessly dependent on God, so they raise their voices in prayer and praise no matter what circumstances they find themselves in.

Prayer is the oxygen we need to keep moving forward along the path to which God has called us. It keeps us in touch with the One who loves us most.

Spiritually Mature Leaders…

know prayer is a dialogue, not a monologue,
bring the vulnerability and honesty of prayer into their conversations with others,
embrace a childlike approach to prayer,
learn the secret of ongoing sacred communication with God, and
respond to the prompting they receive from the Holy Spirit.

God’s Word: Soul Food

Some people like to read so many [Bible] chapters every day. I would not dissuade them from the practice, but I would rather lay my soul asoak in half a dozen verses all day than rinse my hand in several chapters. Oh, to be bathed in a text of Scripture, and to let it be sucked up in your very soul, till it saturates your heart! – Charles Spurgeon

In a devotional commentary about Psalm 119, Charles Spurgeon wrote, “It is known among the Germans as ‘The Christians’ golden A B C of the praise, love, power, and use of the Word of God’…Each portion of the Psalm begins with a letter of the Hebrew alphabet.”

Dallas Willard, one of the great spiritual leaders of our time, describes the transformational power of the Bible and the need to experience it, not just believe it: “We become what we think, just as our body becomes what it eats. A direct correlation exists between thinking and doing.”

Our spiritual lives are much like a garden; they need attention and cultivating to flourish and grow. So, like attentive and faithful gardeners, we have to put in the time. We have to pull spiritual and mental “weeds,” so they don’t choke out the truth. We need to water and fertilize to keep the soil a good place for growing.

Spiritually Mature Leaders…

renew their minds with daily time in the Scriptures,
are committed to not just believing God’s message but living it out in practical ways,
invite the Holy Spirit to marinate their minds in the Word of God,
understand the importance of taking every thought captive, and
tend well the garden of their souls and teach others how to do the same.

Meditation

May my meditation be pleasing to him, as I rejoice in the LORD. – Psalm 104:34

The aim of meditation, in the context of Christian faith, is… to come to know [God] through the realization that our very being is penetrated with his knowledge and love for us. – Thomas Merton

Our Master’s desire is for us to master meditation for the purpose of His mastery over our lives.

When it comes to your life, God doesn’t just have some general principles; He has some perfectly tailored plans individually designed for you. He always has a plan, and He has a purpose, but you must quiet yourself to hear them. So, dig out some time in your schedule to tap into meditation.

Bailey explains, “One of the ways I meditate is by keeping a journal, a written record of what I hear from God. Writing it down, I’ve found, helps me gain a clearer picture of what’s in my heart and how I’m responding.”

Here are four reasons why memorized Scripture is important:

It’s perhaps our best tool in the battle against sin, Satan, and self.
It can be used in prayer.
It provides ready access to God’s wisdom.
It can help us witness.

Spiritually Mature Leaders…

store up God’s Word in their hearts so it might guide, comfort, encourage, and transform them,
understand that memorized Scripture is a powerful weapon in the battle against sin,
strive to be a reflection of Christ as they follow Christ’s words and actions,
allow the light of God to penetrate into the darkest corners of their lives, and
contemplate God’s greatness in the beauty and majesty of the created world.

Solitude and Silence

In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength. – Isaiah 30:15

What a blessing to know that no matter how complicated life becomes, God has given us an invitation to a different way of living: “Be still, and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10).

Honest communication with God in solitude and silence means coming to the end of ourselves. It means admitting that what we’ve tried in order to control our lives and satiate the thirst in our souls hasn’t worked. That’s why God isn’t always looking for words. Sometimes He just wants to allow us the pleasure of simply being with Him and letting Him love us.

God wants you to know that all you really need is Him. So still and quiet your soul by inviting your heavenly Father’s warm embrace to encircle you.

If you think you don’t have time to be alone with God, that confirms you’re too busy with your own agenda. Especially as one who leads others, you need to be led by Him.

Hebrews 4:10-11 tells us, “Anyone who enters God’s rest also rests from their works, just as God did from his. Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest.”

Spiritually Mature Leaders…

understand the importance of times of silence and solitude with God,
develop the kind of “eye-of-the-storm” calm they can bring to bear on every crisis,
find the resources to carry on in their quiet times with God,
embrace a childlike trust in God, and
linger longer with the Lord.

Self-Denial

There is only one thing which is generally safe from plagiarism—self-denial. – G.K. Chesterton

We assume that if something is painful or uncomfortable, it must be bad and should be banished or never encountered at all. In all honesty, too often we tend to apply this same reasoning to our spiritual lives. We assume—or at least we want to believe—that the Christian life is meant to be pleasant and pain-free, with God lavishing blessing after blessing on us. Then when it isn’t pleasant and pain-free, we assume our faith must somehow be lacking or we’ve yet to master some spiritual secret. We’ve bought into this version of Christianity because we’ve convinced ourselves that our faith is about conforming God into our image rather than conforming ourselves into His.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer, the modern-day martyr executed by the Nazi regime, famously described the way of the believer this way: “When Christ calls a man, he bids him come and die.”

The Christian life is an invitation into daily self-denial, putting to death our own “rights” to pleasure or self-gain. It’s an invitation to die to our old selves in order to learn what it means to be truly alive.

We gain a life-changing interior freedom when we realize that no earthly thing will ever be able to destroy us. Nothing can ruin us.

When we bear our own cross, we might have to give up what we want in order to meet someone else’s needs.

Below are four purposes of fasting we find in Scripture:

To overcome temptation: Jesus Christ was led to fast for 40 days (Matthew 4:2).
To seek God’s will in a specific matter: (a) The Israelites fasted to determine direction in battle (Judges 20:26); (b) Paul and Barnabas prayed and fasted before choosing elders (Acts 14:23)
To repent from sin: (a) The Israelites fasted as they repented and put away false gods (1 Samuel 7:6); (b) David fasted and repented of sin (2 Samuel 12:16 and 12:23); (c) Daniel fasted and repented for himself and the people for not having walked in the laws of the Lord (Daniel 9:3); (d) The people of Nineveh repented and fasted (Jonah 3:5).
To increase concern for the work of God: Nehemiah fasted over the condition of Jerusalem (Nehemiah 1:4).

Spiritually Mature Leaders…

know self-denial leads to spiritual freedom,
take up their cross daily to follow the way of the Savior,
understand the difference between earthly and heavenly priorities,
believe that what is lost for Christ is gained for eternity, and
fast to recalibrate their spiritual desires and draw closer to Christ.

Dressed for Success: Spiritual Warfare

Pick up your God-given weapons…learn to wage victorious spiritual warfare using divinely provided weapons. Only then will you experience the thrill of victory rather than the agony of defeat. – Tony Evans

C.S. Lewis once said that the most effective strategy of the enemy of our souls is to get us to doubt his existence.

Many people are poorly prepared to do battle with Satan because they’re too busy to pay attention to anything except what’s right in front of them. And so they fall victim to temptation and misdirection and error.

In Ephesians 6:12, Paul reminds us that our biggest battles in life are ultimately spiritual: “Our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” We are waging a war every day against the devil and his demons.

As leaders, we need to be cautious about trusting too much in our own wisdom and experience. We need God’s perspective.

Spiritually Mature Leaders…

understand that life is a battle against an unseen enemy,
learn that Satan comes like a roaring lion and like a slithering snake,
daily clothe themselves in the full complement of God’s armor,
know that spiritual battles cannot be fought with human resources, and
embrace the Bible as the sword of the Spirit that cuts through lies and deception.

Spiritual Leadership Insights from Stormie Omartian

I believe in the power of praying together—even with just one other person. The power of prayer increases exponentially when we do that.

Ask God to bring someone into your life who’s a strong believer and who wants to pray with you.

A Prayer for You to Pray as a Spiritual Leader by Boyd Bailey

Gracious God, loving Father, forgiving Son, comforting Spirit, You have called me to love You, and I love You with all my being. You have called me to follow You, and I humbly follow and obey You. You have called me to worship You, and I praise and worship You with my whole heart. You have called me to trust You, and I have total trust and faith in You.

You have called me to ask You for wisdom, and I seek You for the wise thing to do. You have called me to serve You, and I faithfully serve You. You also call me to love others; help me lay down my life for them. You call me to serve others; help me serve them selflessly. You call me to comfort others; help me be present to grieve with them. You call me to rejoice with others; help me rejoice in grateful celebration. You call me to pray for others; help me to pray boldly and often for them. You call me to lead others; help me be a leader worth following. In Jesus’s name, amen.