Hey friend,
I’ve been thinking a lot lately about the hidden tests we face in ministry — the ones no one sees, but that reveal what’s really in our hearts.
I still remember sitting in a women’s gathering years ago. A young leader was sharing about her ministry when an older woman offered a suggestion. In that moment, the whole atmosphere changed. The warmth disappeared, replaced by a polite but very clear wall.
That moment left a deep impression on me. It showed me something important: some of the biggest tests in leadership don’t happen on stage. They happen in the quiet moments when we feel threatened or no longer needed.
Years ago, I sat down with a young man who was leading our youth ministry. We talked for a long time about the challenges he was facing. Some of the core members and youth leaders had started pushing back and disrespecting his position. Because he led with such gentleness and humility, they mistook it for weakness and tried to walk all over him.
As an older sister in Christ, I listened and encouraged him. I reminded him that leadership is never convenient. If we step into it thinking we can simply assign tasks or rely on our natural gifting, we’ll quickly burn out. True leadership means carrying the weight together. There is always a cost to serving God’s people and advancing the gospel.
Jesus said it plainly: “Whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant” (Matthew 20:26).
This has been weighing on my heart because I see how God has designed His church. He made us to need each other — older and younger, experienced and newly trained. But this only works when we deal honestly with our sinful tendency toward pride, self-promotion, and that subtle feeling that we are somehow diminished when someone else’s achievements or gifts shine brighter than ours.
According to John MacArthur, the truest kind of leadership demands service, sacrifice, and selflessness (MacArthur, 2004).
Paul David Tripp writes that humility means loving to serve more than craving to lead (Tripp, 2020).
To you who have been showing up faithfully week after week, carrying the weight, being curious about the people God has placed around you, honouring their gifts, and championing them for the sake of the gospel — keep going. You are on the right track.
The Lord sees your faithfulness, and He will provide what you need.
Jesus made it very clear what must mark all our serving and relationships: “By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another” (John 13:35 NIV)
This love is the essential ingredient. When we choose to honour instead of compete, celebrate, and carry the load together instead of alone, we are living out the very thing that shows the world we belong to Jesus.
Points to Ponder
• When someone more experienced or gifted steps into your ministry area, what is your first internal reaction — welcome or warning?
• Are you quick to honour the position God has given others, even when they are younger or less experienced than you?
• Do you see other people’s strengths as competition or as God’s provision?
• Are you carrying the weight of ministry with open hands, or are your hands clenched around your role?
• How can you actively champion someone else’s gifting this week for the sake of the gospel?
A Prayer for Us
Lord, thank You that we don’t have to do this alone. Search our hearts and show us where pride or fear is hiding. Help us to love one another the way You have loved us. Make us quick to listen, slow to defend ourselves, and eager to boast only in You. In Jesus name, Amen.
References
MacArthur, J. (2004). The book on leadership. Thomas Nelson.
Tripp, P. D. (2020). Lead: 12 gospel principles for leadership in the church. Crossway.
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