A Sure Equation for Leadership

This is an except from Fail: Finding Hope and Grace in the Midst of Ministry Failure by J.R. Briggs

“To the degree you face and name and deal with your failures as a leader, to that same extent you will create an environment conducive to growing and retaining productive and committed relationships in ministry. Sometimes the quickest path up is down, and likewise, the surest success comes through being honest about failure.” - Dan Allender, Leading With a Limp

The Judaizers thought Jesus and the gospel were good; the problem was that they believed it was Jesus plus fill-in-the-blank equaled salvation. Jesus was not enough; other things – like

keeping kosher laws, circumcision and pure marital lines – were necessary, along with Jesus. Because of this attitude, Paul escoriates them. He passionately and emphatically tells them it is subtraction by addition: the moment we add to the gospel we subtract from its power.

We are not called to jump through religious hoops – regardless of the hoops that we construct for our lives. This leads to comparison and ultimately an inaccurate and low self-worth or destructive pride – both which are enslaving. There are lots of fill-in-the-blank options for pastors. Jesus plus _______ is rampant in culture, both inside and outside the walls of a church. As pastors, it is easy to live with Jesus plus security, a big church, or happy congregants, or a growing and successful ministry equals salvation. Whatever these blanks are that our hearts create are idols.

The good news of the gospel, as it has been stated by many leaders before, is we are more sinful than we ever dared believe and yet we are more accepted than we ever dared hope. It reminds me of the late musician Rich Mullins who said that life with God is when we have nothing to hide, nothing to lose and nothing to prove. That might be the best description of Paul’s letter to the Galatians. Imagine if we believed that about life with God in ministry. We have nothing to hide because Jesus has already covered my sin. We have nothing to lose because we have already committed to deny ourselves and pick our cross in our pursuit of Christ and we have nothing to prove because Christ has already taken care of it – all my sin and selfish ambitions and vain desires and self- glorifying dreams.

This downward mobility of a life hidden and free with Christ leads us in a direction and on a trajectory that is counter to the esteemed goals of the world. We may fail, but it does not define us. We may fail, but we are loved anyway. We may fail but we are accepted. We may fail, but we are invited to be an honored child of the King.

The pressure is off.

The invitation from Jesus still stands.

Nothing to hide, nothing to lose and nothing to prove.