Sometimes, group leadership can get incredibly frustrating. It can be like herding cats. Even if you have an agenda, you may find you can’t get certain groups or certain group members to get on board or follow through. Everything about leading can become frustrating. Sometimes it seems there is little reward for your effort. The whole thing can become drudgery.
If this sounds like you, there is a passage in the Bible that can help. It has changed my perspective on group leadership. It has changed how I relate to God as I lead.
The passage is from the apostle Paul’s first letter to the church at Corinth. Paul wrote the letter to a church in turmoil, one that was having a lot of trouble finding peace and unity between its Jewish and Gentile believers. It is raw, specific (and yet universal), and no-holds-barred in its advice about how Christians should relate to one another.
In the passage that blew my mind and blew up my leadership, Paul addresses two factions within the church: those whom he’d converted and taught, and those who’d been converted and taught by another church leader named Apollos. These factions seemed to view Paul and Apollos as rivals, though Paul’s response appears to indicate that he and Apollos didn’t view themselves that way at all.
Here’s what Paul wrote to the church at Corinth:
What, after all, is Apollos? And what is Paul? Only servants, through whom you came to believe—as the Lord has assigned to each his task. I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow. So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. (1 Corinthians 3:5–7)
So, here’s the big idea that changed my perspective and approach to leadership: I am nothing. That sounds bleak, but stick with me. Maybe I plant seeds with my group. Maybe I water the seeds someone else has planted. Either way, I don’t grow anyone . . . ever. God does. Whether someone grows exponentially during the lifecycle of the group we’re in, or whether he or she takes only one small step of faith is God’s responsibility. I’m just there to serve him. He’s the one in charge.
This mindset shifts the focus from my agenda for the group to my relationship with God. Group leadership becomes something that God and I are doing together. Experiences that used to frustrate me become opportunities for God to grow me.
That is freedom in leadership.
I’m no leader of a group, but that was truly humbling to read, thank you and bless you. I look at lifes challenges as Opportunity for Growth absolutely as you’ve mentioned. I like how its about God in charge even when we may feel we aren’t effective where we “should” be – trusting Gods will, his doing as we are faithful in walk which I am still learning, when there are opportunities for me to walk forward, I am challenged by fear & anxiety of being “slaved” as I went through years of traumatic childhood abuse…. I need to walk into these opportunities less of self and more of God I know, its just hard to get this self-thinking out of me, that I am in the New.. that we are not slaves, we are daughters and sons of the most high God created in His Image so whether it’s doing lowly things it totally counts in the highest realms as we get beside people.. I am a great Peer Supporter for the broken, its just I get challenged by being taken advantaged off and so I have healthy boundaries as per Henry Cloud (Christian teachings on boundaries)…..
I don’t want to be a unhappy slave in the corner, I want to use my giftings Gods given me, and that’s where I am trying to find my footing again that I use to have before a big trigger challenged me, it’s that footing I am wanting to get back into, its that footing where I flourished.. it’s just its not Christian run, its a Social Work Job, I can be a light there but I have to still be supported by my church life groups and services to keep that light lit.
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I am a Peer Support Specialist on an Assertive Community Treatment team. I was frustrated by not being able to fully share Jesus so I joined a team starting Rick Warren’s Saddleback’s Celebrate Recovery’s “hope for mental health,” at our church. This is where I experience the light burning that I think you are speaking of.
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Oh wow, thank you for sharing that with me, maybe that’s the area I should aim to focus on.. Celebrate Recovery is in New Zealand as well.. I will look into that thank you so so much.
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Brilliant. Humbling. God gets the credit for designing the passage and your take-away. You get credit for being His humble servant. Looking forward to more from you (and Him).
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