Are you being a good steward?

Are you doing your best work as a leader yet not making an impact?

Have you ever felt stuck, powerless to change your environment?

Do you feel too overwhelmed to enjoy life, unable to sort out the demands on your time?

Whether they realize it or not, children are stewards of things given by their parents: time, possessions, food, and more. It is the parents’ responsibility to help their children make wise decisions about how to use these resources-in other words, how to be good stewards of the gifts that have been given to them. It’s not the schools responsibility. If the parents leave it up to the schools, they will only indoctrinate their kids to the world’s way of thinking. That’s why it is vital that parents know what is being taught to their kids.

What makes an emotionally healthy leader? In this blog, I will be discussing how transforming your inner life to deeply transform your church, team, and the world around you to become a better leader and stewards. It starts with a transformed inner life.

Common wisdom in leadership practice is to delegate areas of weakness to those who have strong skills in that area.

But first, what comes to mind when you think of an emotionally unhealthy leader? Or perhaps a better question might be, who first comes to mind? Is it a boss, a staff member, or a colleague? Or perhaps you? How would you describe this person? Is it someone who is chronically angry, controlling, aggressive? Or perhaps someone who is avoidant, inauthentic, passive? While emotionally unhealthy leadership expresses itself in all these ways and many more, the foundational definition of an emotionally unhealthy leader is perhaps both simpler and more multifaceted than you might expects. The emotionally unhealthy leader is someone who operates in a continuous state of emotional and spiritual deficit, lacking emotional maturity and a being with God sufficient to sustain their doing for God.

I have worked with some emotionally unhealthy leaders who are impossible to work with. They cannot keep the help happy and many ended up quitting. These type wondered why they cannot keep a full staff, and they don’t understand that they are the reasons. They think that it’s everyone else problems but theirs.

When we talk about emotionally unhealthy Christian leaders, we are referring to the emotional and spiritual deficits that impact every aspect of their lives. Emotional deficit are manifested primarily by a persuasive lack of awareness. Unhealthy leaders awareness of their feelings, their weaknesses and limits, how their past impacts their present, and how others experience them. They also lack the capacity and skill to enter deeply into the feelings and perspectives of others. They carry these immaturities with them into their teams and everything they do.

Emotionally unhealthy leaders tend to be unaware of what is going on inside of them. They ignore emotion related messages their body may send-fatigue, stress-induced, illness, weight gain, ulcers, headaches, or depression.

They do more activity for God than their relationship with God can sustain.

Emotionally unhealthy leaders do not practice Sabbath-a weekly, 24 hours period in which they cease all work and rest, delight in God’s gifts, and enjoy life with him.

How healthy is your leadership?

Every family has “commandments”- those unspoken rules about what is okay and what not okay to say or do.

It’s not a success unless it’s bigger and better.

What you do is more important than who you are.

Superficial spiritually is okay.

They believe not to rock the boat as long as the work gets done.

Leading a church, an organization, or a ministry that transforms the world requires more than the latest leadership strategies and techniques.

The first and most difficult task we face as leaders is to lead ourselves.

As leaders, we have the power to project our shadow and its effects on other people.

Each time you make a choice to face rather than ignore your shadow, you follow Jesus to the cross.

We must cultivate a strong desire to make visible the invisible-the love of Jesus for his church-in and through the love we have for our spouse. We then lead out of the overflow of this love. In other words, out of the giving and receiving of love in our relationship, we have extra give away love.

This means the first item on your leadership job description is to conduct your life in such a way that your demeanor and choices consistently demonstrated to others.

Do you have a passion for people?

How do we cultivate that passion in our leadership ability?

Most Christian leaders believe that the loudest message we preach to the world comes through our words, or perhaps our service to others.

In order to be a good steward of the limited resource that is you, it is vital that you discern the kinds of people, places, and activities that bring you joy.

We must practice hospitality regularly.

Loving union is not about managing your schedule better or simply not being busy. It is not so much about having a sustainable pace in life.

Do you have an open door policy? As Revelation 3:20 states, “Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me.” I had a manager who kept his office door closed and locked when he’s not there.

Does these experience speak to you: You cannot shake the pressure you feel from having too much to do. You’re always rushing. You are quick to fire off quick opinions and judgements. Are you often fearful of the future? Are you defensive and easily offended? Do you care what others think of you? Are you easily distracted?

Stewardship is what a man does after he says, “I believe.”

Being a good steward doesn’t just apply to the church but it also apply to your life, relationship with your spouse and family, what kind of leader you are on the job. Do people feel comfortable enough to come to you with whatever situation they are facing? Do you make them feel welcome? Are you approachable?

This is on being a good steward not stewardship. Stewardship is a whole different topic.

Once again, are you a good steward? Are you welcoming to others? Do others feel comfortable around you? Are you judgmental? Are you trustworthy?