Your greatest calling is not to lead your company, your church, or your community. The greatest calling you have, is to lead your home. I know this may be something that you already know. In fact I’m sure it is, however, knowing something is one thing but walking it out is altogether different.
Here is what God instructs us as leaders in 1 Timothy 3:1-5, “The saying is trustworthy: If anyone aspires to the office of overseer, he desires a noble task. Therefore an overseer must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, sober-minded, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not a drunkard, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. He must manage his own household well, with all dignity keeping his children submissive, for if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he care for God's church?”
This passage of scripture is talking specifically about the qualities and characteristics of a shepherd (pastor) of a local church. Shepherds are to manage their home well and raise our children correctly. Because, if we can’t manage their own house, how can they be trusted to manage what belongs to God.
I feel that this verse can also very much be applied to any leader. As a leader you are a shepherd. You are in charge of and oversee the flock of your family, company, class, or students. It is so important for us to realize that everything we have actually belongs to God and we are simply stewarding his gifts, so if you as a leader cannot take care of your own family, how can you rightfully take care of the other gifts that God has put into your hands?
In I Timothy 5:8, we also read, “Anyone who does not provide for their relatives, and especially for their own household, has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever”. Scripture says, anyone who does not provide for their family has denied the faith. God says this person is worse than someone who does not even know Jesus. These are some pretty heavy passages of scripture that clearly show us what happens at home is the greatest priority and calling of our life. Managing marriage, ministry, and raising a family is a really tough juggling act. However, it is really just a matter of keeping our priories straight.
God.
Spouse.
Kids.
Church / Organization
In this order.
The most important thing God has asked you to lead is your family. Shine Gods love into them. Sacrifice for them. Spend time with them. Mentor them. It does not do much good to take everyone else families to heaven, if we don't first take our own. How we lead others should come out of the overflow of leading our family.
Several years ago I was being interviewed at a conference that I was speaking at. One of the questions they asked was, “Kevin, what does a great ministry look like?” I paused for a second and said, “To me a great ministry looks like this: Every night when I go to bed and lay beside my wife, I close my eyes and ask myself three questions.
1 - Did I do something today to make HIM smile?
2 - Does my wife know that she is loved and that she can trust me?
3 - Was I the father that Jordan, Logan, Mikayla and Lilly needed me to be?
If that answer to those three questions, is yes, not only was it a good day, but I have a great ministry. I am leading the way God intended me to lead. I am leading my home.
As leaders in todays culture we need to remember that …
1 - Leading well is not measured by the size of the crowd. Leading well is sitting on the couch talking about faith with your family.
2 - Leading well is not butts in the seats and bucks in the bank. Leading well is modeling for your children what it looks like to walk with Jesus.
3 - Leading well is not writing books or blogs. Leading well is reading bed time stories to your little girl at night.
I now you are a “go getter”. I know you want to change the world. But as you are striving to help everyone else, remember that, true leadership flows from the inside out. True leadership starts in the home. Leading your home is your greatest calling.