Follow Hard

I cringe just a bit when I hear the word leadership. I cringe not because I think it unimportant but because all too often we are encouraged to pursue the wrong kind of leadership—and for leadership itself to be a primary pursuit. Leadership can be good, but it should never be the goal. We were made to follow well. We were made to follow hard (Psalm 63:8).

This distinction is anything but trivial. On the one hand, if our eyes are on the crowd, we will make decisions based on their reaction. Pilate wanted to please the crowd, so he surrendered an innocent man—Jesus—to His slaughter (Mark 15:1–15). But if our eyes are set on following hard after Jesus, it will ensure that any who may follow us are not led astray. This is especially critical when we consider that we will be held to account for those who follow us (James 3:1).

There is a temptation to push our way to the front of the crowd. But when we make choices based on where it will position us in the crowd rather than on who we are following, it is highly destructive.

Leadership that is not a by-product of following well is worse than worthless. We were made to follow well. We were made to follow hard.