A note from Kelly King: Who is leading your heart? Do you lead from your own capabilities or are you leading by making Christ the Lord of your life? Kasey Ewing gives leaders a warning today. For more on this subject, check out Eric Geiger’s new book, How to Ruin Your Life.
Ache and weariness war within me
Pain piles high and damage destroys
Craving closeness, I contrive condemnation
I proclaim my guilt and profess my penitence
He offers patience but I relish my punishment
Jesus restores but revenge rewards
Grace so foreign, I feign furiousness
This is my life in leadership—the true feelings that trump today.
These thoughts haunt me because the crux of true leadership is lordship. Who is Lord of your heart?
The gifting of leadership makes us capable and also makes us culpable of fleshly living. Along with the gift of leadership comes temptation. Temptation to arrogance and self-sufficiency. We replace His leadership with our own leadership. This is a heart issue that can lead to a sinful life—a life that believes that what we want we can have (lust).
In his book, How to Ruin Your Life, Eric Geiger concludes that David’s sin with Bathsheba and the murder of her husband was an “issue of the heart. Jesus taught, ‘from the heart comes evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, sexual immoralities, thefts, false testimonies, slander.’ So, the root of David’s lust was his heart. His adultery, murder, and lying all came from his heart.”
When Jesus is leading our hearts, true leadership is the result. We have confidence that we are living a life that is pleasing to Him. What is the result of our hearts being ruled by our own desires? Who is Lord of your heart? Who rules your heart?
Whoever rules your heart, rules your ministry.
When my heart is commanded by me, there are so many choices and options. Options and opinions swirl like chocolate and vanilla yogurt piled high in my cone. My personal insecurities lead to indecisiveness. I tend to isolate myself from those who can provide godly wisdom and counsel. I protect myself from my fears.
Kasey Ewing is the Family Ministry Director at New Vision Church in Murfreesboro, TN. She is married to Brad who is the Buchanan Campus Pastor at New Vision. They have three boys: Drew, Jake (in heaven), and Jackson.
