There is no lack of information available for best leadership practices. A quick Google search of the word leadership turns up countless results, ranging from leadership personalities to think tanks and governmental offices.
Leadership is the talk of the town as employees and organizations are constantly looking for new ways to remain ahead of the curve. The organization for which I work values excellence, innovation, and integrity, and rightfully so, because Christian leaders should be synonymous with these commitments.
With all the wonderful resources available, there are some leadership commitments that appear more neglected than others, and these include the art of brevity, staying power, and resting well. Brevity means making our words count. Staying power involves fortitude amid adversity. Resting well acknowledges that the work week is not complete until we have rested. Let’s examine each one to see how important it is for believers.
The Art of Brevity
Sometimes we think speaking “Christianly” is synonymous with using more words, but this makes our words less meaningful. Or it can be easy for us to fall prey to the belief that to speak the truth in love, as the Apostle Paul exhorts in Ephesians 4:15, means we must talk with lengthy language that adds little meaning or value. However, we can say what only needs to be said and still obey this verse.
This is an area in which I am trying to grow because I see its value exemplified by the incredible leaders around me. These are some of the most God-fearing and productive people I have ever been around, and they make their words matter. How is this done? This can mean having the courage to have difficult conversations, or it can mean better stewardship of other people’s time by not wasting their time on empty words.
Learning to speak with brevity means we choose our words carefully, and this will not only make us more productive, but it will also allow us to love our neighbor better. Knowing what to say and when to say it are needed skills in today’s polarizing world.
The Art of Staying Power
Beyond making our words count, making our lives count for the glory of God takes staying power. Let’s be clear—anything and everything we do that is good is by God’s grace and for God’s glory. This is not a “how to be a better me” message, as the best version of us will always be an imitation of Jesus. The staying power I am referring to here is a combination of faithfulness and fortitude throughout our vocational callings and our lives.
Probably now more than ever, it is easier to quit because as soon as we quit one thing, we can look for the next thing on LinkedIn and other social media platforms. We have the world at our fingertips. In an age of instant gratification, staying power is becoming less common but more important.
An example of someone who has demonstrated staying power is my grandfather. At a young age, he discerned the call of God on his life, and that call was to shepherd God’s people in the church. Just a few years ago, we celebrated my grandfather’s fiftieth anniversary as an ordained member of his denomination. For most of these fifty years, he preached or taught Bible studies at least three times a week.
There have been hurdles, relational challenges, and spiritual attacks, but by God’s grace, my grandfather has demonstrated staying power, a mixture of faithfulness and fortitude that reminds all young ministers that faithfulness over the decades can still be accomplished by the grace of God.
Staying power is not a lost art, but it is easier than ever to quit when things do not go as planned. If God has called us to something, we cannot afford to throw in the towel because life gets difficult. His grace is our staying power, so let’s run our race to the end.
Rhythms of Rest
Lastly, the ability to make our words count while remaining faithful over years of obedience to God will require rhythms of rest. Learning how to rest well is essential if we want to maintain fruitfulness in the will of God. We can pour out to others, but if we are not recovering, we will burn out.
I find it fascinating that the capstone of God’s work week in Genesis 1 and 2 is a day of rest. If God chose to rest, how much more do we need to rest as finite beings? He has not asked us to be the savior of the world but to follow the Savior of the world, and in following Jesus, we need rest.
Resting well includes physical replenishment, but it is so much more. It is an opportunity to give God thanks for everything he has done for us. It is a chance for us to spend time with our spouses and loved ones. It is a moment to enjoy a hobby and recreate.
The Wiser Road
As we go to work this week, whether at a job site or in leading our family at home, let us not forget these leadership commitments. We can make our words matter more by choosing them carefully. We can demonstrate staying power to our kids when life gets difficult. We can keep the main thing the main thing by learning to rest and recreate. Sometimes, less is more, so let’s be the people who take the wiser road.
