This was originally delivered as a devotional exhortation to youth student leaders at FCBC Walnut. Listen to the audio on YouTube.
I’ve been preaching for about half a year now. I’ve been really focused on the task of preaching, on being a spiritual leader, and on my calling. Is there a danger to being so focused on my ministry?
Leading People and Loving Praise
I heard my friend say this: “I see a lot of worship leaders who are up on stage who get the praise, but eventually they forget who the praise should belong to because their heart loves that praise. And it amazes me that the people who are leading worship are so prone to leaving the faith.” He continued: “You would think they were super spiritual, but they weren’t.”
To be clear, I believe my friend’s claim is anecdotal. (I haven’t seen any studies to support what he’s saying.) But I think there is truth and wisdom in the way he is connecting leading people with the danger of loving praise.
Looking at Our Hearts
Why are leaders more prone to loving praise?
1. Leaders usually crave the approval of others.
Not only do you crave it, but you enjoy it. It makes you feel good when people notice you, pay attention to you, give you honor and respect. But God’s approval usually comes in quieter moments. God doesn’t open up the clouds and shine a light on you.
2. It’s honestly easy for leaders to fake spirituality.
You look super spiritual when you close your eyes and raise your hands. You can say “Amen” during sermons and prayers. We can lie, seemingly without consequence, and claim to be diligent in our personal devotions and private prayer life. No one will question you.
3. Leaders tend to look for physical rather than spiritual rewards.
The praise of man typically leads to good things. It gives you more clout. It allows you to get ahead of your peers. It gives you a voice. But God doesn’t work this way. His rewards don’t rot away over time. His rewards are eternal, some of which you will not see until you get to Heaven.
Looking to God’s Word
How can leaders combat the love of praise? God’s Word offers some solutions.
1. Fear God more than man and seek only his approval.
Nevertheless, many even of the authorities believed in him, but for fear of the Pharisees they did not confess it, so that they would not be put out of the synagogue; for they loved the glory that comes from man more than the glory that comes from God. (John 12:42-43)
These Jewish leaders didn’t want to be put out of the synagogue. They feared that they would lose their place. They feared that they would lose their position. They feared what man could take away from them. You must fear God more than man and seek only his approval.
2. Approach God with honesty and fight against hypocrisy.
The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses’ seat, so do and observe whatever they tell you, but not the works they do. For they preach, but do not practice. They tie up heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on people’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to move them with their finger. They do all their deeds to be seen by others. For they make their phylacteries broad and their fringes long, and they love the place of honor at feasts and the best seats in the synagogues and greetings in the marketplaces and being called rabbi by others. (Matthew 23:2-7)
The Pharisees would do anything to obtain the praise of man, making sure they’re seen and seemingly better than everyone else. When on the inside, they didn’t practice what they preached. You must approach God with honesty and fight against hypocrisy.
3. Ask God to move your heart and motivate your good deeds.
Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven. (Matthew 6:1)
This passage goes on to give the examples of giving to the needy, prayer, fasting – and how it’s bad if we only do those things so others see how spiritual we are. You must check our reasons for doing things, and ask God to move your heart and motivate your good deeds.
Looking to Jesus
Guard your heart from pride, and replace the love of yourself with the love of God. This can only be done by looking to Jesus, who did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but he humbled himself and became our suffering servant. Spiritual leadership is actually spiritual service. It’s climbing down the ladder of success. It’s cultivating a humble heart that looks like Christ.
Loving Like the Bride of Christ
I’ve been really focused on the task of preaching. I’ve been focused on being a spiritual leader. I’ve been focused on my calling. There is a danger to being so focused on my ministry. But as I focus on the act of preaching, I’ll also focus on my attitude and posture. While I’ll try to be a better leader for God and others, I’ll also try to be a better lover of God and others. I’m going to work out my calling, and I’ll also work on my character.
The measure of a worship leader is not by outward appearances, but by inward affections. Replace the love of yourself with the love of God. The Church is not a corporation that works like the rest of the world. She is graced with supernatural strength for her shepherds and servant leaders. Let’s live and love like the bride of Christ.