The first commitment of being a pastor is to follow your Lord — to make your communion with Him more important than anything else in your life.

I can hear you pushing back already. You’re probably thinking, Come on, this is elementary. I’m a pastor. Of course I’m following the Lord. Let me challenge you to leave the surface level and dive a little deeper. The question isn’t if you are following; it’s how closely are you following? Your proximity to Jesus will define your life and leadership. Everything you do as a leader, a spouse, a parent, a mentor and a friend hinges on how good a follower you are.

There have likely been times in your life, as there have been in mine, when you’ve been so close to Jesus that you could hear His every whisper. There may have been other times when you’ve hung back. I encourage you to pause here for some honest self-evaluation: Right now, as you read these words, how intimate is your relationship with Jesus? How closely are you following Him, really? Are you right on His heels, positioned to hear every word that comes out of His mouth? Or are you distracted? Are you dropping back and allowing other people or things to come between you and Him? Your answers to these questions are directly linked to the current state of your life and ministry.

Join me next week for the second of this three-part series.

Your partner in ministry,

Nelson

© Nelson Searcy. All Rights Reserved.

About Nelson Searcy

Nelson Searcy is an experienced church growth strategist, pastor, church planter and coach, consulting with churches around the world. As founder of Church Leader Insights and the Renegade Pastors Network, he has personally trained more than 3,500 church leaders in over 45 denominations through live events, seminars and monthly coaching. Nelson is also the Founding and Lead Pastor of The Journey Church, with locations across New York City and in Boca Raton, FL. Nelson and his church routinely appear on lists such as “The 50 Most Influential Churches” and “The 25 Most Innovative Leaders.” He is the author of over 100 church growth resources and 18+ books, including The Renegade Pastor: Abandoning Average in Your Life, Ministry and The Difference Maker: Using Your Everyday Life for Eternal Impact, and At the Cross with the People Who Were There. He and his wife, Kelley, have one son, Alexander.