Yesterday we began a series of posts based upon the thought that every leader has battles that they face and ultimately must overcome. Yesterday we discovered that Pride is one of the greatest battles that most leaders must overcome at some point. Pride will cause you to take credit for what rightfully belongs to someone else, and in ministry, that is often God. So, what is the second battle?
Battle #2 – Fear
Fear will cause us to over-think decisions or keep us from making decisions. It is crippling, debilitating and ultimately brings “decision paralyzation.” A positional leader who is overcome with fear will sometimes make statements like these:
- We need to be careful that we do not win the battle and lose the war.
- Before we do that, we need to get more information.
- You cannot change things that quickly.
- Let’s bring someone in from the outside to help us navigate this.
There is often times some truth in fear. Each of the statements above could be a true statement, but a leader will overcome the fear of the decision to do what is right in the situation. (seeking the input of God, others, etc). Throughout Scripture, God told us that if we walked with Him, there was no need to fear. In 2 Timothy 1:7, Paul says:
For God did not give us a spirit of timidity [fear], but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline. (NIV)
So, leaders have to overcome being afraid and replace that with healthy fear. Healthy fear…
- keeps God in the equation. Each decision that we make should be based upon God and His Word. Proverbs 1:7 says, “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.” Fear of the Lord and pursuing Him will help us make God-honoring decisions.
- brings peace. In Proverbs 19:23, we see that God-fear doesn’t keep us up at night – it actually helps us sleep better. The fear of the LORD leads to life: Then one rests content, untouched by trouble.” When you are leading with Him, you should have His peace.
- gives us wisdom. “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.” Proverbs 9:10 The “fear of the Lord” leads to the best decisions that can be made! When you lead with the fear of the Lord, you honor Him and He honors you with great wisdom.
Where do you have fear in your leadership that you need to overcome? Where do you lack the fear of the Lord in your leadership that needs to lead to repentance?
Wow, good question. One of the hardest parts of being a leader is self evaluation! I admit I am weak in this area, probably because I do not want to know that I have weaknesses, even though being aware of my weaknesses makes me a better leader. Kind of funny that way. I believe my biggest fear is making a huge mistake, especially one that was avoidable. Although I know mistakes happen and that I actually learn best from my mistakes, I still dread making them.
Pride is definitely a biggie. President mentioned today:
“Don’t be afraid to ask for help when you need it. I do that everyday. Asking for help is not a sign of weakness it is a sign of strength. Because it shows you have the courage to admit when you don’t know something, and that then allows you to learn something new. ”
I know a lot of people in my type of business that try to do the whole web site themselves so it can be their baby. My graphic designer is extremely talented but we both agree when we are both working together on a project it turns out better. If you are wanting to fly solo, it holds you back I think. Even my own company web site was not solely designed by me.