Leadership can be draining at times. There is the constant task of keeping people on track with the vision and dealing with challenges and obstacles on a regular basis.
One of the greatest challenges of leading people is keeping yourself refreshed with inspiration, motivation, vision, and passion for what God wants to do through your efforts.
Here are three helpful ways to stay encouraged:
- Allow God to encourage you through His Word.
There are Scriptures for whatever we will face in our life or leadership. Maybe you are going through your leadership journey and feel that something is missing. When we get into the Word of God and make unhurried time to seek the Lord in His Word, He will always meet us there. We will go away from that place more encouraged than we have been in a long time.
- Find a friend who encourages you.
We all need others. None of us can do this on our own. David was constantly encouraged by Jonathan (I Samuel 23:16), who believed in the calling and purpose of God in David’s life. Who knows where Paul would’ve been without Barnabas encouraging him (Acts 4:36, Acts 9:26-30), believing in him, and introducing him to other leaders? Both of these mighty leaders had and needed an encourager, and each of us does, too. None of us will ever get beyond the need for the body of Christ to be the body and for good friends to support and help us in the work that still needs to be done.
- Encourage yourself in the Lord.
It is said that in one of David’s moments of trial in leadership, he “encouraged himself in the Lord” (I Samuel 30:6).
This is a quality every leader needs to develop. We cannot depend only on the encouragement of others, but we need to ask God to make us people of vision, hope, and joy for the sake of those we lead. It takes just as much energy to look at the bright side of all God is doing in our lives and ministry as it does to stay depressed at the obstacles we are facing. Choose to practice the habit of encouraging yourself in the Lord. Get excited about what God is doing in your life. Be encouraged by the hand of God working through your leadership to bring about positive change and good things for those you lead and those you want to influence. Seek to share our vision with whomever they come into contact with.
This article was originally published in the Ladies Ministries UPCI leadership newsletter.
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