Comfort, Careerism, and Christ-lessness: 3 Dangers for Young Leaders

I recently heard a seasoned pastor make an insightful comment on the enemy’s game plan for a spiritual leader’s fall. He said that while it’s rare for young leaders to fall, he shared it was common for the enemy to insert small hooks (Think fishing) of specific sins and temptations early so that he could capitalize later on with said sin at the leader’s height of influence. 

I found his words to be sobering because they were true. I’ve watched people I once admired fall. It made me re-evaluate where some of these “hooks” may be in my life. 

It also created in me an urgent desire to see young leaders unhook as many of these proclivities and tendencies as quickly as possible before they became hardened tools in the enemy’s hands. 

If you’re a young ministry leader, I believe there are 3 things you should look out for from my observation: 

1. Comfort

Comfort is not necessarily a bad thing. But it can easily be a trap that limits our development and the sheepherding of God’s people. 

Comfort can be what makes us only do things that highlight our gifts and strengths. It can be the thing that prevents us from having hard but necessary conversations. Comfort can be the escape hatch we give ourselves from giving due justice to an opportunity, event, or assignment. 

I’m not a believer in church ministry “counting” only if it’s uncomfortable. But I’ve seen my share of gifted leaders become a shell of their potential over time. We must get comfortable with crucifying comfort and choosing Christ first, early on.

2. Careerism 

There is nothing wrong with viewing church ministry holistically. In fact, it’s wise to view church ministry through many lenses, with a career perspective as one of them. Careerism, however, is different. This is when “ministry-as-career” becomes the primary lens that drives us.

This is when it becomes about climbing the org chart, speaking on the right stage, and sitting at the right tables. This is when someone begins to reverse engineer their behavior to manipulate situations and conversations. 

When this happens, we are in great danger of a coming day when we realize we haven’t been operating out of the image of Christlikeness. It will be a heartbreaking day as we ask ourselves, “How did I get here? I don’t even recognize myself anymore.” 

For every thought of “career” when it comes to church ministry, we must think of calling five times more. 

3. Christ-lessness

“Christ-less ministry” sounds like it couldn’t happen, but it does happen. 

It happens when we find ourselves in a frenzy of activity for Christ without an ongoing relationship with Christ. It happens when our hearts are deadened and not in awe of Jesus, but we fake our way through it publicly. It happens programmatically when we make it about human feelings and human behavior, but relegate Jesus and the gospel to an irrelevant endnote. 

The greatest gift a ministry leader can give to his or her people outside of godliness is a deep abiding passion for God. A ministry leader who delights in God is better positioned to serve people in the long run than the smartest or most strategic leader. 

Carving out personal time with Jesus and abiding in Him is a non-negotiable. 

Conclusion

Jesus was tempted by Satan early on. The enemy tried to get his “hooks” in Jesus, but He resisted by the power of God’s Word. 

The antidote to deception is truth illuminated by God the Spirit. A sword seems like a worthy tool for cutting off the hook lines that may have been set by an enemy who hates us. 

Get into God’s Word. Let His Word dwell deeply in you, and God will bear fruit through you for years to come.