I was praying this morning about leadership and all that God has called us to here. As I was praying I started to think about what success really is in ministry. Yep, that question again!

Many of us who lead will desire growth and change in the areas that we are leading in. If we didn’t want that we would have to question why we were doing what we are trying to do.

However is that what success is?

We could see growth and change but have achieved it in ways that aren’t pleasing to the Lord. Healthy things grow but so does sickness, worry and pain – growth in and of itself doesn’t necessarily signify success.

Success for me has to be linked to obedience and devotion to God.

Have we honoured the Lord in who He is and all that He has called us to? Have we honoured people well and treated them as the divine image bearers they are? Have we led with integrity and kept close to God?

I know we also want to do things well, I’m not minimising that, but surely that must come out of these other things. Skill and gifting will grow things but we must be clear about what it is we are growing. Is it actually something we would like to replicate? Will it be something that can live beyond our skill and gifting? Are we committed to generational change or are we content with seeing some success in our lifetimes?

Oh Lord,we need your help with all this. We feel so small and ill equipped for these things but in you we know we have all we need