The Leader's Pitfalls

“Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity.” (I Timothy 4: 12)

When we began our “Crunch Time” message series last week I shared the sad accounts of two successful men, one in politics and the other a church planter. Both men exploded onto the scene in their respective fields with great success. Both men created another explosion by admitting moral failure. They are but 2 examples of an all too familiar tale. They are examples of the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat. They are both highly educated, extremely gifted, and yet I am sure their lives are one of supreme disappointment.

What happened? Simply put, they veered off course. They knew a pit would be at the end of the road laid out before them, and yet they did not have the strength to steer clear and avoid the pain their failure produced for them, their family, and countless others who were looking to them for leadership. Henry Blackaby says they have “shipwrecked their lives” by making careless, foolish choices. They are not alone. I have prayed and counseled others who have followed the same path. Blackaby says there are 10 common pitfalls we must avoid as spiritual leaders. Let me briefly list them and give a quote or two:

The 10 Pitfalls of Spiritual Leadership

1. Pride – “Spiritual leaders are God’s servants, but pride can cause them to act as if God were their servant, obliged to answer their selfish prayers and to bless their grandiose schemes. (Prov. 27:2; Dan. 4:29-31) Pride, our greatest enemy, makes us self-sufficient and unteachable.

2. Sexual sin – Sexual sin is the most notorious, because it has “the heinous power to destroy a career, a family, and a reputation, all in one blow.” Moral failure is not from a lack of information on our part. It is the result of poor choices and unhealthy habits.

3. Cynicism – “Leaders who surrender their positive attitudes have resigned themselves to be mediocre leaders at best. Negative leaders spawn negative organizations. Cynical leaders cultivate cynical followers.”

4. Greed – “Wise leaders know that the measure of their success is not the size of their bank account but the quality of their lives.”

5. Mental laziness – “Good leaders never stop learning and never stop thinking. Wise leaders take the time to process every major event and learn. They never stop learning or evaluating, so they never stop growing.”

6. Oversensitivity – “People who cannot handle criticism need not apply for leadership positions. Being criticized, second-guessed, and having one’s motives questioned are unpleasant but inevitable aspects of leadership.”

7. Spiritual lethargy – “A leader’s enthusiasm to make things happen will tempt them to forgo the passive pursuit of spending time with God. Leaders in Christian ministry are busy people. We must never see the Bible as a textbook for a sermon, but as the living Word of God!”

8. Domestic neglect – “Leaders should get in the habit of marking significant events as birthdays, anniversaries, graduations, and special events on their calendars so they do not schedule unnecessary outside commitments on those dates.”

9. Administrative carelessness – “Leaders are, by nature, visionaries. They may focus so much attention on the vision of where their organization is going that they neglect to build the kind of organization that can actually arrive at the destination.”

10. Prolonged position holding – “Good speakers recognize that if they haven’t made their point after thirty minutes, they might as well send their parishioners home to roast beef. Similarly, we must know when the time has come to exit graciously and allow a new leader to step in.”

Henry Blackaby offers a series of questions to meditate upon if you are in a position of spiritual leadership:

1. Do I pray regularly with at least one other leader?

2. Are there other leaders with whom I am free to be candid about my personal struggles?

3. Who holds me accountable to follow through on what I know to be God’s will?

4. What safeguards have I built around my relationship with my spouse? Are they adequate to protect me from temptation?

5. How am I presently studying and applying God’s Word to my life?

6. Have I built safeguards around my time with God?

7. When was the last time I clearly heard God speaking to me? How did I respond to what he said?

8. Do I have people who are willing to challenge my actions when they think they are harmful?

9. Are the fruits of the Spirit growing in me? (Gal. 5:22-23) Am I becoming more and more like Christ?

Avoiding the Pitfalls,

Dr. Derek