Leading Young
Cultivating holy ambition as a young ministry leader.
Leadership in our world is best known as a pushing-and-shoving match for the “glory” of standing alone at the top (which most would admit gets quite lonely). Many young leaders in the secular sphere (and some within the Christian) pursue far too much success and far too little substance. To make the problem worse, reading the origin stories of people like Steve Jobs, Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerberg, Jeff Bezos, and others has become easy. After reading, you feel a sense of inspiration and determination brewing in the depths of your ambitions for the top spot.
Christian leadership is precisely the opposite of what is promoted, for it is intentionally a race to the bottom. This does not mean a Christian cannot and should not work hard; instead, the young Christian leader is working hard at different things for another purpose. The young ministry leader must not fall into the trap that entices the soul toward empty promises and vain pursuits. Instead, learn to ask the question: Do I love Jesus more than leadership?
At one point in Jesus’ ministry, he tells a large crowd, “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple. Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple” (Luke 14:26–27).
Jesus is not saying that you must have disdain for your mother and father. If he were, then 1 John 3:15 should be called into question: “Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him.” So, why would Jesus make such a significant and controversial claim? Essentially, Jesus is hyperbolically setting our priorities straight. We must love Jesus so much that it will seem as if we hate everything else in comparison.
With the foundation set, let’s begin to add the bricks. What does it look like to cultivate holy ambition within your life and ministry? What does it look like to develop yourself most fruitfully? I will propose a few practical ideas, fully aware that a more extensive list could be compiled.
Discipleship
The importance of learning from a well-lived sage.
Besides Jesus and His disciples, one of the more well-known mentorship relationships we find in the Bible is Paul and Timothy. Paul chose Timothy to lead into a growing and ever-seasoning ministry and life. Who would Timothy be without Paul? What would Timothy have turned out to be like without the challenging love of his mentor and friend?
To the young leader: Find a mentor and learn from them. You need someone to help you “watch your life and doctrine closely” (1 Timothy 4:16).
Reading
The importance of reading well and reading often.
You have probably heard it said, “Leaders are readers.” Although the saying is cheesy and overused, I have a hard time finding it to be false. Every young or old leader I know reads for pleasure and for learning.
In an age of consistently quick information, the brain has suffered overload and loss of attention span. Long-form prose has lost its luster. We need short soundbites of information to satisfy our hunger for more. Reading a book can disrupt the current culture and challenge the average man’s milieu.
So, what should you read, and how much should you read? The quick answer would be to point out the subjectivity of the question itself, but there are solid rules of thumb that can be followed to read well and read often.
C.S. Lewis once wrote, “It is a good rule after reading a new book, never to allow yourself another new one till you have read an old one in between.” Essentially, Lewis argues that old books should be read just as often as new ones. Eugene Peterson agrees in offering the poignant advice to “read the dead people.”
To the young leader: Read well and read often.
Criticism
The importance of learning to take criticism (good and bad).
Proverbs 12:1 humbles the proud quite efficiently: “Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge,
but he who hates reproof is stupid.” The argument could end right there. As a young leader, are you able to take correction well? Can you swallow your pride to grow?
Leaders (not just young ones) who cannot handle the criticism of others will not last. To have only “yes men” around you is to commit leadership development suicide. You will grow stronger in your (possibly wrong) opinions but not stronger in Christ.
There are a few key points to note in handling criticism, whether good or bad.
1. Submit to authority unless they are asking of you something immoral and against the Word of God (Acts 5:29).
2. Criticism may or may not be warranted in your mind, but it is in theirs. Receive it well.
3. Yes, you are young, but you are equipped (Romans 9:11–12), so stand firm in what you know to be correct.
To the young leader: Criticism will come, and there is wisdom in learning to take it, filter it, and use it.
Discipline
The importance of practicing the Spiritual Disciplines.
If you are not aware of what the Spiritual Disciplines are, allow Donald Whitney to explain to you their definition: “The spiritual disciplines are those practices found in Scripture that promote spiritual growth among believers in the gospel of Jesus Christ. They are habits of devotion, habits of experiential Christianity that have been practiced by God’s people since biblical times.”
Donald Whitney is one of many that have written about the Spiritual Disciplines. Dallas Willard, Richard Foster, John Ortberg, R. Kent Hughes, David Mathis, and others.
Young leaders must swim in the deep waters of the Spiritual Disciplines for the “purpose of godliness,” as Whitney would say. But are there specific disciplines that a young leader should focus on? I would argue there are three:
1) Bible Reading: 2 Timothy 3:16–17 tells us that “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” I cannot take credit for what was once said, but you must read Scripture and let Scripture read you.
2) Prayer: Many young leaders fall into the trap of talking more about God than talking with God. The heart of any relationship is communication. To neglect communication with God is to overlook a foundational piece of one’s ministry. The last third of Romans 12:12 tells us to be “faithful in prayer.”
3) Submission: It is impossible to serve two masters (Matthew 6:24). Submission to the God of the universe results in the correct submission to your earthly rulers. The question you must ask yourself is, “am I submitting to authority for the purpose of godliness?”
To the young leader: Train yourself in godliness (1 Timothy 4:7) by reading about and practicing the Spiritual Disciplines.
Subtraction
The importance of living a quiet life.
In 1 Thessalonians 4:11, Paul tells the Thessalonians to “aspire to live quietly, and to mind your own affairs, and to work with your hands….” What does this mean? Work hard without aspiration of noticeability.
Through living a life of “addition by subtraction,” you are seeking to do only the things that glorify God the most and glorify you the least. You work hard and do your work well. You live life subversively. For the young pastor, Eugene Peterson explained the intentionality of his calendar in the classic book “The Contemplative Pastor,” by telling us he wants to be a pastor who prays, a pastor who preaches, and a pastor who listens.
We would be wise to follow in his footsteps by living an unbusy, quiet, subversive life for the glory of God.
To the young leader: Quiet does not mean hermit. Live a life of deep relationship, hard work, patient listening, and passionate devotion to the Lord.
Conclusion
It’s ironic that I write this because I am a young pastor learning the paths of the pastorate life. I am an infant in a world of adult thinkers, pastors, theologians, sages, and saints. In writing this, I am writing to myself in hopes that some benefit will stumble toward you.
To the young leader: Read this for what it is worth. Chew the meat, spit out the bones, knowing you are learning from a learner himself.