Bible Students

Thoughts on “Lead” by Tripp (chapters 10-12)

This week’s reading covered chapters ten, eleven, and twelve. This section spoke especially on the future of ministry, how someone is able to continue to hold fast to the calling. These three chapters, once again, are very convicting as I am looking forward to vocational ministry in the future. 

Chapter ten speaks on restoration. Leaders must have both rest and restoration if they expect to not permanently break down and burn out. The promise of restoration is key for leadership. In the kitchen often people will fail to deliver on their responsibilities for their shift. There are many sudden issues that come up, which throw the shift off track. When I believe the people on shift were being irresponsible with their time and so do not deliver on their responsibilities, I become very frustrated. However, I must learn the practice of restoration if I am to lead a gospel-centered workplace. No follower of Christ, leaders included, are perfectly molded into His image yet. Perfection should not be expected. Biblical characters were constantly sinful, but the Lord restored them time and time again. He should be our example of restoration. Sometimes leaders need to be removed from leadership for a season, but a proper leadership community will always try to bring that leader back if possible. 

Chapter eleven is on longevity. Leaders who last a long time only do so because of a gospel-centered community. The key to longevity is spiritual maturity. This maturity recognizes that each leader is not the best at everything, and is not a one-man show. Every leader needs co-leaders, delegates, and people to lead them. Leaders can not function alone, they need a constellation of other leaders and helpers. Additionally, no leader is as mature as they need to be, so it is essential that checks and balances are in place to prevent a leader’s foolishness. Leaders should always run to God for maturity in order to avoid a premature ending of their ministry. Leaders must have people who will tell them when they are in the wrong, and those same people must be encouraging to leaders. A grace-filled community will be a confessing community. Leaders must confess and have accountability, which is a part of having biblical maturity, in order to have a long-lasting ministry. Failure to do so will result in a premature leaving of leadership. 

The final chapter of Lead covers the topic of presence. I appreciate that this chapter was saved for last as the final climax of the book. The entire book has been hinting at the necessity of the Spirit’s presence in one’s leadership, but the concluding chapter being on this topic specifically is a nice touch. All leaders will fail, but all leaders must see their failure through the person of Jesus. 

When people suddenly reject you as a leader, bitterness will be right around the corner. However, the positions and privileges of ministry are not yours, ever. They are always God’s to give and to take away. The ministry itself belongs to God. Rather than making an idol of ministry, leaders should always look to serve God. Practicing the presence of Christ in a leader’s life will lead to the humility, grace, and hope which good leaders are characterized by. The Lord will often take away idols, especially if a leader allows their leadership to become an idol to them. Practicing the presence of Jesus is simple at my job now, since we can start each shift with prayer, pray with each other during the shift, and sing worship to Him for the entire time. However, as time goes on and I move to another job, practicing the presence must become more intentional. I very much look forward to moving into a new Christian work environment that does not have the practices we do, in order that I may bring the presence of Jesus into focus during work hours.  This book has been completely packed full of very applicable topics, and I am thankful to have read it. A handful of my friends who are interns now at this college are required to read Lead as well, and I very much look forward to continuing to discuss the topics with them, especially as they relate to the workplace we work in together.