Today's culture wants us to believe that career success is what matters most. Almost anyone who is out hustling to leave a legacy tries to do so by putting out an innovative product, multi-million dollar business or huge corporation.
And in the church today, it's no different. Pastors and spiritual leaders are out spreading the good news, prophesying, bringing forth revival and making churches explode in growth. Sadly, many of these pastors that do make a difference put their personal lives in danger by sacrificing their marriages, children and friendships.
But looking at God's format of spiritual or even contemporary leadership, He has always built leaders up to be surrounded by strong and healthy relationships. Here are some reasons why good leadership is almost equivalent to healthy relationships.
Leadership with bad relationships is not sustainable
Leaders can never deny that healthy relationships are a person's main re-energizer. Coming home to a family from a long day of work or enjoying a night with friends can make all our worries go away and efforts worth it. It's just the way we are wired.
That's why Paul calls us in 1 Thessalonians 5:11 to "...encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing." We all need good and energizing relationships to sustain our passion to push toward goals. In the absence of them, we find ourselves running out of steam more often that we'd like.
To neglect family is to neglect true legacy
In the Old Testament, everytime a leader failed to train and take care of his children, the next generation would suffer. It's no different today. To deprive our children of proper training and affection leaves the world short of one next-generation leader that has the potential to actually be better than you.
And maybe you aren't married, but that doesn't mean that you should be deprived of mentoring and investing in someone else's life. We have friendships and partnerships that surround us. What are you doing to be a blessing to those relationships?
God calls us to build relationships, not empires
God's command to us was not to make as much money as we can, build large ministries, get as many converts as possible. In John 13:34, Jesus tells us, "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another."
We can build and labor all we want, but if this is done at the expense of lasting and God-honoring relationships, we miss the point. Leadership is all about relationships. Without it we lose trust and respect, and when those are missing, we aren't actually leading at all.
