Leadership Decisions: Heart or Head?
Hey Friends,
If you read this blog often, then you probably love people. Most leaders in ministry love people, as we should. So when we have to make difficult leadership decisions, with what do we make them? Do we use our hearts or our heads? Most people use their hearts. Having a compassionate heart is a wonderful thing in ministry. But when the decision to be made is regarding leadership, whatever you do – don’t use your heart! Many times we have to make decisions that effect our team, our direction for the future, or any of a thousand other issues. In these situations don’t use your heart. Tough decisions must be made with your head.
Our heads can stay free and clear from emotional clutter and distractions. But our hearts will cause us to worry about how people will feel or if anyone will be hurt by the decision we make. Because of this we will delay making, or even refuse to make, hard calls or difficult directional decisions. As an example, because of this fear of hurting others most people have never dismissed anyone from a staff, whether the position is paid or volunteer.
At the end of the day, vision and the Kingdom must be primary in our decision making process. No matter the decision, the end goal is to impact lives and to maximize all we have for the Kingdom. In order for us to reach our potential, hard issues must be faced and difficult decisions must be made.
In most churches and ministries being “nice” is the top value. But if we were to check with Christ about His Church, reaching souls and making disciples would be at the top of the priority list! So if you are a leader, what hard decisions are you facing? Are you willing to do whatever it takes to follow Jesus instead of pleasing people? Will you follow God’s leading or give in to your feelings? At the end of the day it is our goal to make God happy, not the people around us.
I know very well what a lonely part of leadership this can be, but it is a part that must be faced if lives are going to be transformed. I know the devil works overtime to make decisions difficult for us. But the important thing to remember is that God has called us to be leaders and to touch this world for Him. And if we seek Him, He will give us the wisdom we need to make the right ones.
Yours to count on.
Pastor
9 Comments
It is often surprising although it shouln’t be how God takes such a personal approach in the area of leadership. Being a woman I think it may be harder sometimes. I am not sure because I don’t know what it’s like to be the other.Maybe it is just because our world has always been conditioned that way and it conditioned us with many faulty beliefs,so it is difficult to assess.To me anyway,but not impossible. Over the past year alot of spiritual growth has come out of The Word as a plumbline for what has come and gone in my families life.One of the things that has affirmed me, as a woman belonging to God, is 1 Timothy.I just want to say first that I take full responsibilty for what I am about to say because in my life I have seen and heard this chapter taught differently and understand some among our community see it from a different view.It opens up urging for PRAYER and GIVING of THANKS for all men.For kings and all that are in authority to live a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty.We all are enabled to live this way only with Christ as our Soveriegn, both genders, which qualifies all to take hold of this truth personally.Vs.4-6 is but one place that establishes ultimately who is really in control,”the man” Christ Jesus, and why.Vs.9-12 is where it gets tough. Going off of the analagy of the “Bride of Christ”,Ephesians 5.Within the Bride there are found both genders and both are required to submit to His authourity and not usurp that authourity.He tells us with “cool heads”not “warm manipulatable hearts” being firm (quiet and peacable), that we must not accept certain behaviors In both these books(avoiding the choas of an unsubmitted person) .For safety for the whole of His Body.Someone has to take the position of protecting the integrity of the whole and most often times it is the most submitted to Christ who gets the job because that is what is needed most in a world of falsly adorned individuals (1 Peter 3).So He Himself equips that individual, both male or female, to fulfill what He would have us do even if it is tough.Reverential fear. It is a good thing and is to be directed upwards not sideways, belonging only to God, and often times puts us as a human in unfavourable light with our fellowhumans,but at the end of the day He will uphold the decisions made for Him, in submission to Him, that must be made in godliness and honesty by His leaders and that is our consolation and it is great and worthy to be praised.If we find ourselves, examining ourselves honestly, to be in need of more spiritual meat and growth, It is not a dishonour to learn in silence waiting on the Lord to reveal you when is proper time. It is a great HONOUR. We are known by our love being called Christs and we are all saved in childbearing….relationships and the fruit produced as in proper relationship, from the top down, conducted properly and orderly as avoiding chaos and loss of what is good, The Word. So saying, tough cool headed decisions is ultimate love because admonishing exhortations if met with a humble and contrite heart, produces good fruit in the recipient and sometimes must needs be. That is a good leader in this kingdom who understands and can shepard submitted to the Truth and a heavenly blessing given of God be it male or female. Thank you Pastor for teaching and leading us from the wealth God has given you for the purpose of the harvest and effective workers. It is so needed and worthy of respect. I might add this was a tough one to consider today but much needed, speaking from a resistance and aversion to wanting to be a leader because of how uncomfortable and awkward and sometimes painful,it can be, but as you have said it is not about us.If God calles and equips us I don’t think it is wise, to not listen.If you see, in this statement, anything that shouldn’t be, please except my humble apology and I submit to correction if needs be, because being sensitive in mind I subject my heart to seek and lay hold of Truth. Because I do see from my place of view a love and submission to Christ and a concern for the sheep entrusted to you.Ultimately I admit I am a sojourner trying to learn as best as I can with what grace I have been given. Given, being the key word. It is hard to GRO-UP Pastor. Lastly just for peace of mind I love my husband dearly and the Lord has taught me the honour and ease and peace that comes from submission to him, to do it any other way is definitely BAD!!!!
Pastor,
what a tough subject…I wander if the priests in the temple got mad when Jesus overturned the tables…afraid that He was going to run all the people off?
He knew their direction was way off…and it was probably a pretty easy decision for Him to make (because He is Jesus…lol). but if that was any other man in his position…i think that would have been a tough decision…I’m sure it was bringing all kinds of people and money in.
Praying for you and your team this week.
This is a hard truth to learn. Maybe even not so much to grasp it, but to run with it. I am facing this at work and have been in a rut about it, so I am glad to be confronted with your honest take on it, Pastor. One of my biggest areas of weakness is that my nature is that of a people-pleaser. I don’t do well with confrontation and making those hard decisions. I do, however, recognize this and am making steps to get out of my comfort zone so that I can grow as a person.
I like Sabrina’s thought that we should belong only to God. I confess that I have spent too much time trying to share my “belonging” between people and Christ, and for a person who seeks balance above all else, I know that keeps me out of balance.
No matter the tough choices in life, ultimately it is our responsibility to follow God’s leading and make the choices best for His purpose.
I can see where making tough decisions in the interest of forwarding the gospel can be extremely difficult, especially when it affects our relationships. Since I value my relationships big time, I would have difficulty making the tough decisions if there were relationships involved. In my career in management I’ve only had to terminate one person, that for insubordination, and I still had difficulty pulling the trigger. Even though that person’s attitude affected the the entire team, I still regarded the loss of income and the personal affects to that person long and hard before making the decision. I think, however, when a making a decision that affects the Kingdom, we really do have to make head and not heart decisions. It can be the difference between life and death. I think Lee was right, Jesus made a head decision in the temple because he knew that the behavior of the money changers could impact someone’s faith. Even though He was angry, I doubt severly he went off half cocked without thinking through what impact His actions did would have. Once again, we need to be more like Him. Even though decisions may torment us during the process, the fruits that come from making sound decisions far out weigh the pain of making them.
well said, Frank
@ Sabrina wow thanks for the insight.
@ Lee thanks keep it coming.
@ Jennifer, thanks for sharing your heart.
@ Frank, you are the man and are so right.
Great blog, Pastor!!!!!!!!!!!Head = Scripure…..Heart = carnal man, so much of the time! I’m 100% behind you on this! Making disciples is the main marching orders of our Lord in the great commission. Worrying about offending man over God is simply “Idolatry”!!! Stay true to the Word and God will continue to richly bless you, the staff, and FPC!
Absolutely fantastic. I’m late reading this, but I’m glad I did. Oftentimes I feel like I need to become stronger in my leadership decisions, and it’s a good refresher to read that here and the comments that followed.
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