Follow VS Lead
“Followership starts with Jesus, stays with Jesus, goes with Jesus, and ends with Jesus.” -Leonard Sweet
I grew up surrounded with mentors and groups of friends who loved self-development. When I went to college, the same ideas echoed through each conversation about personal growth – develop your leadership gifts. As I pursued pastoral ministry, I was given words of knowledge and prophesy about how my leadership would impact my generation and I needed to learn as much as I can. So that’s what I did. I asked mentors hard questions and was given practical advice. I read leadership gurus and heeded their wisdom in how to lead teams on a large scale. I listened to inspirational podcasts on what was holding me back from exploding my ministry. I attended leadership conferences where I was inspired to lead the people who were under me. It was great. I have always loved learning about leading others to places they’ve never dreamed of in their personal and spiritual lives. There was just a few issues that was really holding me back. The biggest one was one simple truth: I didn’t want my spiritual life replicated. In other words, I couldn’t lead other people to places that I’ve never been myself.
“Christianity without discipleship is always Christianity without Christ.” -Dietrich Bonhoeffer
There was a big shift that I made about 5 years ago. I took a break from reading leadership books and started picking up books on Christian spiritual formation. I exchanged John Maxwell and Andy Stanley for Dallas Willard and Francis Chan. And then I started really reading my Bible – like really reading it. And this time, it wasn’t just to get sermon content to preach from. I started reading the Bible to learn how to apprentice under Jesus. This is where things really started to change. Now, please hear me out. Leadership resources are fantastic and can definitely help you grow in your relationship with God. However, my point in this blog is to urge my readers to prioritize “followership” over “leadership.”
Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.” -Matthew 16:24
As Jesus passed on from there, he saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax booth, and he said to him, “Follow me.” And he rose and followed him. -Matthew 9:9
My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. -John 10:27
Ok, so maybe followership isn’t a real word, but this context, I think you understand what I’m trying to do. I’ve seen leadership experts who have inspired thousands be trampled under their own sin patterns. While they’ve created systems of organizational growth, they’ve failed to lead their own families. Their sermons have led others to Jesus, but yet crumbled under pride, lust, and lies. The sad truth was that their leadership development was more important to them than their character development. These Christian leaders forget what Jesus first called them to do according to Matthew 4:19 – “Follow me…“
“Discipleship is not an option. Jesus says that if anyone would come after me, he must follow me.”―Tim Keller
Before we can lead others, we need to follow Jesus. This means diving deep into being with Jesus, becoming like Jesus, and doing the things that He did. It’s abiding with Christ. This looks like practicing silence and solitude, Sabbath, prayer, scripture reading, and simplicity. It also looks like allowing God to reveal things in your heart like discovering your identity, dealing with your past, naming your stage of apprenticeship, and learning how to walk through the dark night of the soul. This is all inner work of the heart that the top leadership experts gloss over. This is followership. It’s learning to abide with Christ in our heart, mind, and spirit. It’s allowing ourselves to be transformed – not into the next best John Maxwell – but into the image of Jesus, our Master. This is apprenticeship.
“The follower aspires with all his strength to be what he admires. And then, remarkably enough, even though he lives amongst a ‘Christian people,’ he incurs the same peril as he did when it was dangerous to openly confess Christ. And because of the follower’s life, it will become evident who the admirers are, for the admirers will become agitated with him. Even these words will disturb many – but then they must likewise belong to the admirers.”― Søren Kierkegaard
Let me clarify something. I am not saying that we need to have it all together and be perfect before we lead others. If that was the case, there would be no evangelistic efforts and Christianity will buried under legalistic sinless perfectionism. However, I am saying that there are too many young people who read one leadership book and feel like God has called them to lead a mega church next month. What if we focused on following Jesus, obeying His commands, and discipling just two friends for a few years instead of chasing after the mega church model of leading thousands as fast as you can? Here’s my big idea: Let’s prioritize following Jesus first and let your leadership gifts be an outflowing from your apprenticeship. Leading well will only be eternally effective when you learn how to follow well.
“Christian discipleship is a decision to walk in his ways, steadily and firmly, and then finding that the way integrates all our interests, passions, and gifts, our human needs and eternal aspirations. It is the way of life we were created for.”― Eugene H. Peterson
Practical Challenge
Pick up a book on discipleship this week instead of a book on leadership.
Matt Garcia
Matt is the creator of this website and curates resources on spiritual formation. He is a husband of Jesika and a father of 4 children. He also helps lead a house church. Follow him on Instagram to see what he's up to.