DON'T LOSE HEART - DAVE CLAYTON

dave clayton

don't lose heart

Leadership has never been an easy endeavor. In the best of times, leadership requires all that you have. In the difficult times, leadership seems to demand far more.

I do not need to waste any time or energy trying to convince you that you have been leading in the midst of an extremely difficult season. Whether it is the crumbling moral framework of the culture at large, the growing divide along a number of “controversial fault lines” among our own church members, the sudden shifts to how you go about leading and caring for the church, or the debilitating personal challenges you have experienced in the midst of so much uncertainty — most honest leaders are struggling to not lose heart.

A recent study from Barna revealed that 29% of pastors have strongly considered leaving pastoral ministry as a result of the challenges faced in the past year and half. If I’m honest, that number seems low.

So the question is not if leaders are weary, but maybe more significantly why are leaders soweary? Is it possible that the discouragement of the past 18 months goes deeper than the external leadership challenges we all face?

THE LOSS OF HEART

Although the external challenges of this season have been unrelenting and quite real, I am convinced the greatest threat to Godly leadership is not the loss of church members, cultural influence, or certainty around our ironclad strategic plans. No, the greatest threat to Godly leadership is the loss of heart. In ministry, the hard work is actually the heart work. Whether we like it or not, what we do can not be parsed out from who we are becoming. Our work flows through the heart, because the heart is the dwelling place of Christ (Ephesians 3:17). It’s the reason the writer of Proverbs calls us to guard our hearts (Proverbs 4:23), Jesus tells us to keep our hearts (John 16:33), and Paul celebrates that in the face of great challenges he has not lost his heart (2 Corinthians 4:1).

One of my favorite moments in the scriptures unfolds near the battlefield described in 1 Samuel 17. You know the story well. Young David is sent by his father to deliver food to his brothers who had been deemed old enough and brave enough to fight. David arrives on the scene like an under appreciated Postmates driver bringing food to a party in which he was never invited. Shortly after arriving, David discovers that the Israelite army is mentally, emotionally, and spiritually defeated. Day after day the army had faced the boastful threats of their larger-than life opponent, and at some point along the way they began to take his threats to heart. In 1 Samuel 17:32, there is an amazing exchange between young David and King Saul. David articulates the challenge facing Saul and his men quite simply. He says, “let no one lose heart on account of this Philistine, your servant will go and fight him.” David knew the greatest challenge was not the size of Goliath or the technological advancements of the Philistine army. No, the greatest threat to Israel’s future was the loss of heart.

DON’T LOSE HEART

So the question becomes, how does a leader keep his/her heart in a land dominated by “impending giants?” Although there are many places the scriptures speak to this question, I am particularly captivated by the clarity and practicality of Hebrews 12:1-3. The writer of Hebrews declares:

“(1) Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, (2) fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. (3) Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.”

don't loose heart (continued)

HOW TO KEEP YOUR HEART

Much like Jesus in John 16:33, the Hebrew writer leaves no room for confusion. He says I am telling you all of these things so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. The application of these Holy Spirit inspired words has been a source of life and strength to me as I’ve stood, like you, in the land of giants this year. So how can we practically live into these truths as leaders?

1. LET GO

The past year did not make us or break us, it merely revealed us. If you are anything like me, there are probably some areas of your life and leadership that pleasantly surprised you. Undoubtedly you discovered some parts of your life that were more resilient, faithful, durable, and beautiful than you would have known had you not gone through the pruning that you did.

But if you are honest, you probably also discovered some things about your life and leadership that you are not too eager to discuss or display broadly. I love how the writer of Hebrews deals with this reality. He says some of the things that slow us down are not necessarily sinful, but they are not helpful for moving us towards all that God has in store for our lives. They are hinderances. But he goes a bit further. He goes on to say there are also sins that we have made peace with in our lives that have entangled our hearts, minds, and habits seeking to destroy the work of God in us and through us. We must let go of both of these. What a sobering thought. Several times a year, my wife and I will get away on our own and together for the sole purpose of allowing God to speak into our lives in a fresh way. One of the questions we always seek to ask, but one that has had much more weight after the past season, is “Jesus will you please show us what we need to let go of in order to faithfully love you and serve you well in this season?” Have any bad habits crept in? Are there any methods of ministry that have run their course? Have I said yes to the right things, and no to the wrong things? The list could go on.

If we will have the courage to ask, he will have the kindness to answer.

2. KEEP GOING

But keeping heart is not just about letting go. There is a real beauty that is found in the commitment to simply keep going. Our culture doesn’t typically celebrate perseverance well. We tend to be more impressed by the newest, fastest, and shiniest. But with every passing year of life and leadership, I find myself being drawn not to those who have started well, but to those who are learning to finish well. There are some days, as you know, where the most noble work of leadership is to simply keep moving forward, even if you aren’t sure which direction is forward.

The Hebrew writer reminds us that leadership in the Kingdom of God is a marathon, not a wind sprint. The call of Godly leadership is not simply to run, but to run with perseverance because the course is long.

3. RUN TRUE

Keeping heart also requires that we learn how to run true again. The witness of scripture consistently points to the beautiful reality that God made you on purpose (Psalm 139) and for a purpose (Ephesians 2). The Hebrew writers taps into this reality in verse 1 as he calls us to “run the race marked out for us.” The goal is not simply to keep running, but to keep running the race that God has made us to run.

Although I can be inspired and taught by just about anybody, it is key that I only give my life to running the race marked out for me by Christ. I’m convinced that very few things will deplete our life and energy like running the wrong race.

4. KEEP YOUR EYES ON JESUS

Finally, the ultimate key to keeping our hearts in the midst of leadership fatigue is found as we keep our eyes fixed on Jesus. I know this sounds so obvious that most of us will be tempted to skip right past this part, but humor me for just a moment. Who do you really take your leadership cues from? Who really inspires you? Whose voice has the greatest weight in your life as a leader? I love reading books, listening to podcast, and joining coaching groups — but none of those are sufficient for sustaining my heart. Unless Jesus is truly my leadership hero, my heart will be prone to fail. I love how the Hebrew writer calls us to remember the way Jesus faced struggles as our source of strength. You can almost hear the echos of John 14:27. While walking with his disciples towards Gethsemane, Jesus turned to his disciples and said, “The peace I have is the peace I will give to you.” In other words, this enduring peace in the face of such impending hardship will be yours as well, but only if you come to me. What amazing news! It has been a challenging season to say the least, but God is not done with you yet! Our world desperately needs wholehearted leaders — surrendered to Jesus, filled with the Holy Spirit, running the race marked out for them. The world needs leaders like you. So no matter what may come, guard your heart because you are going to need it.

Dave is the lead church planter and pastor at Ethos Church; he leads vision and teaching for three campuses. Because of his deep passion for making disciples and planting churches he also serves in discipleship - leading house churches, prayer ministry, outreach, and missions. God put a big dream in the hearts of Dave and his wife, Sydney, back in 2007. They put together the original team and planted Ethos Church in 2008. Originally from Charleston, South Carolina, Dave moved to Nashville in 2000 to attend college. He attended Lipscomb University for both undergrad and graduate school. He met Sydney during orientation his freshmen year. Dave and Sydney were married in 2005. They now have three beautiful children named Micah, Jack, and Judah.