Go Spiritually Deeper

If we’re going to maintain health as high-capacity leaders in ministry, we have to focus on taking our walk with God deeper and deeper. The sad thing is that nobody notices whether we’ve been spending time with God. Nobody really knows if we’ve been living holy lives filled with integrity. They don’t see our prayer time. They don’t see our self-sacrifice.

Except they do, usually quite suddenly. When things go wrong, when the pressure is on, when we’re shaken, what has happened in secret suddenly comes to light. This happens in both positive and negative ways.

For some, a tragedy will hit, and the depth of their walk with God will be shown. They’ll stand firm, praising the Lord, saying, “It is well with my soul.” But for others, the foundations of their faith will be shaken, and they will feel lost and uneasy. Their growing anger toward God and his people suddenly becomes apparent. The church becomes a hated place. The crazy thing is, these are the same ministers who have spent hours in the Word throughout their week. It’s not like they aren’t reading the Bible or spending time surrounded by the people of God.

If we aren’t careful, we can begin reading Scripture and spending time around believers in our role as content creators, not because we’re devouring the Bible for ourselves. Not because we’re experiencing real life-changing community around fellow Christians.

So what can we say about going spiritually deeper that you haven’t heard a thousand times before? Nothing. You know what you need to do. Make time for God. Ask God to show you areas where he wants you to stretch your faith. Let him show you places where you’ve compromised integrity. Schedule a recurring task on your to-do list to spend time quietly before the Lord, reading Scripture or praying for God to reveal more of himself to you personally.

There’s no shortcut to depth with God. Relationships require devotion. This will be the most important factor in your longevity in high-capacity leadership. More than that, this is what you were created for. When you walk closely in stride with Jesus, you fulfill your life’s purpose.