"Let’s quit celebrating great leaders, and instead, celebrate long term faithfulness."

Mark Lauterbach with a great reminder.  He writes:

Of all the silly notions of ministry making the rounds, there is none sillier than the self-important notion that our leadership is what makes the difference.

This idea is rooted in a culture that prizes technique above character, and skill above godliness. The idea is not rooted in Scripture.

The “leadership model” of ministry is rooted in the American success model. That is why we read the books of the successful, and believe there are techniques that secure success. We apply that to the Christian realm. Don’t we tend to honor the men who have large churches? Don’t we hang around them for tips on how we can nurture a larger church? or how we can be the kind of leaders they are?

It is true, God uses us as we lead. But where in the Bible do we get a focus on the leadership gifts of men? More still, what do we find where there are exceptional men? We find what seems to be failures.

Obviously, leadership DOES matter.  We can't be idiots or lay in bed all day and expect results.  But the temptations for myself and most people I know is that we believe too much in our ability and way less in God's ability.