The Other Side of Leadership
By Pastor Chuck Swindoll
Press on
“The beautiful fact is, He will never leave us or forsake us. Our spirit, that is the Spirit of God given to us, resides in us and He’s there as the Parakletos, one called alongside to help us, to comfort us, to give us the strength to go on. I’m here today because I didn’t quit back then. Remember that. If you quit now, you don’t go on. It’s over. Press on.”
Don’t quit ministry
“As a leader, you will experience the other side. Invariably, you will go through times that will be a deep struggle for you. And I mean that sincerely. You will be tempted to quit, to pull away from the spotlight, if you will, to leave the ranks of leadership and to move into the shadows, away from the place where the enemy makes you his target. And I urge you to never go there. You will tolerate thoughts like that, but never yield to them.”
We live on borrowed time
“You will not know when your last hours have come, most likely, nor will I, but we know that we live on borrowed time. Any day can be our last day. Any hour can be our last hour. What we do for Christ, therefore, is all important. That we continue to do every hour of our lives.”
How to make things right
“I’m grateful that he [Paul] didn’t become a cranky and bitter old man. [We] need to guard against that as age stacks up. You need to be quick to realize you’ve made some mistakes. As best you can, make them right. If you’ve offended, go back to the one you offended and make it right. If you spread things that weren’t true, and you realized after spreading them, they weren’t true, but you weren’t woman or man enough to say it back then, say it now. It’s good for your soul to clear things up like that.”
Don’t be afraid to ask for help
“If you have a need for someone else, tell them you need them. Don’t be proud. You’re never too old to ask for help. Jesus could have had the last meal alone, but He chose the Twelve to be with Him. You need others. I need others. I can’t make it on my own.”
How to handle unfaithful companions
“In your ministry, men and women, you will have those who serve right alongside you live an unfaithful life. By the grace of God, you will catch them in it, or someone will tip you off. Or there will be signs that something is going on that shouldn’t be going on . . . I warn you ahead of time, that quite likely will happen in your life. How important it is that we develop accountability with one another. And that we keep short accounts so that people know they can trust us, and we can trust them when no one else is around.”
About the author
Pastor Chuck Swindoll
Pastor Charles R. Swindoll has devoted his life to the accurate, practical teaching and application of God’s Word. He is the founding pastor of Stonebriar Community Church in Frisco, Texas, but Chuck’s listening audience extends far beyond a local church body. As a leading program in Christian broadcasting since 1979, Insight for Living airs around the world. Chuck’s leadership as president and now chancellor emeritus at Dallas Theological Seminary has helped prepare and equip a new generation of men and women for ministry.
