Leadership: Abiding or Striving? Real-Life Examples of Leadership in Action
True leadership is not about control, but about yielding to the One who leads all things.
John 15:16 (WEY)
"It is not you who chose Me, but it is I who chose you and appointed you that you might go and be fruitful."
Two Kinds of Church Leadership
In every church, leadership takes one of two paths. Some leaders abide in Christ and let Him lead through them. Others strive in their own strength, believing they must make ministry happen. The difference is not in external effort—both may be highly active—but in the source of that effort.
To illustrate, let’s look at real-life examples of each approach, showing how leaders either express Christ’s life or rely on their own strength.
The Leader Who Abides in Christ
Example 1: The Pastor Who Led by Resting in Christ
Pastor James had no grand vision for his small church. He simply loved Jesus and stayed in constant fellowship with Him. Instead of focusing on growth strategies, he focused on deep discipleship—meeting with people, praying with them, and pointing them to their identity in Christ.
A young couple in his church, struggling with their marriage, came to him for help. Instead of offering human wisdom, James encouraged them to abide in Christ. He shared how their real issue wasn’t communication, finances, or unmet needs—it was self-sufficiency. They needed to yield fully to the life of Christ within them.
Over time, the couple experienced transformation—not because of James’s counseling skills, but because they learned to rest in Christ. This is true leadership: not fixing people, but pointing them to the only One who can truly change them.
The church under James's leadership never became large, but it became deep. People were growing in Christ, discipling others, and leading their families in faith. And James? He never felt burdened, burned out, or pressured. He simply remained in Christ, trusting the Spirit to do the work.
Example 2: The Elder Who Waited on the Lord
Elder Joseph was part of a church experiencing financial difficulties. While others worried and started pushing aggressive fundraising, he felt a deep conviction to trust God. Instead of panicking, he prayed and encouraged the leadership team to seek Christ’s direction before making any decisions.
Some thought he was being passive. “We need to act now!” they insisted. But Jospeh knew that acting without abiding is fruitless. He urged them to listen to the Holy Spirit before making rash decisions.
Within a few months, an unexpected solution emerged. A longtime member of the church, unaware of the financial need, left a large donation in his will—one that would sustain the ministry for years to come. The church never had to resort to manipulative fundraising tactics or desperate pleas for money. Instead, they saw God’s faithfulness in action.
Joseph’s leadership wasn’t flashy, but it was powerful. He modeled faith over striving, patience over panic, and trust over control.
The Leader Who Operates in the Flesh
Example 3: The Pastor Who Built a Ministry on Pressure
Pastor Greg was deeply passionate about growing his church. He read every leadership book, followed the latest church growth strategies, and worked tirelessly to expand attendance.
He implemented marketing campaigns, high-pressure altar calls, and relentless volunteer recruitment. He measured success by numbers—attendance, tithes, and engagement in programs. His sermons often included subtle guilt tactics, reminding people that if they truly loved God, they would be more involved.
And the church grew—at least for a while. But the pressure was unsustainable. Volunteers burned out, leaders quit, and eventually, the rapid growth collapsed. Many in the church became disillusioned, realizing that much of what they were doing was driven by obligation, not by Christ’s life.
Greg was exhausted. He didn’t understand why all his hard work didn’t produce lasting fruit. The answer? He was leading from effort rather than abiding in Christ. The ministry was built on striving, and anything built on striving eventually crumbles.
Example 4: The Ministry Leader Who Refused to Let Go
Laura was the head of the women’s ministry at her church. She had built the ministry from the ground up, organizing Bible studies, retreats, and events. But over time, her role became her identity. She believed that without her, the ministry would fail.
When a younger woman, Anna, began growing in leadership, others saw her potential. The pastor asked Laura to begin mentoring Anna to eventually take over the ministry. But Laura resisted.
She subtly undermined Anna, made decisions without consulting her, and ensured that she remained the primary leader. She justified it by saying, “I just want to make sure this ministry stays strong.” But in reality, she was afraid to let go.
The result? Anna, discouraged, eventually left the church. The women’s ministry stagnated, and Laura, though still in charge, found herself leading a lifeless program. Instead of trusting Christ’s work in others, she tried to control the ministry—and in doing so, she choked the very life out of it.
What We Learn from These Leaders
Personal Journal Entry
Lord, how often I have seen leadership reduced to human strategies and effort, when all along, You never called us to lead in our own strength. You are the Head of the Church, not us. You are fully capable of leading, guiding, and bringing fruitfulness without human manipulation or pressure.
I do not want to be a leader who strives, pushes, and manipulates results. I do not want to build something impressive but empty of Christ. Instead, I want to abide—fully, freely, resting in the reality that if You have called me, You will accomplish Your work through me.
Let me lead like James, like Susan—listening, waiting, yielding, and trusting. Let me be willing to step aside when You raise up others, knowing that leadership is never about a position—it is about Your life flowing through surrendered vessels.
Your Church does not need more strategies—it needs more of Christ. I choose to rest in You, trusting that all You desire to accomplish through me will come to pass as I remain yielded to You.
Prayer
Father, I trust You to accomplish Your work through me. I reject the pressure to manufacture results, and I rest in the reality that fruitfulness comes from abiding in You. Keep me from striving, from control, from self-reliance. Let Christ’s life be my only source of leadership. May I never measure success by what I accomplish, but by how evident Christ is in my life. I trust You to build Your church through Your Spirit, in Your time, and for Your glory alone. Amen.
Credits
Inspired by Abide Above’s March 8 devotional, "In-Born Ministry."
Photo credit: Unsplash