Golf is an EXPENSIVE sport! Honestly, I’m not the greatest fan of golf. I only like a few aspects of the game and lugging a heavy bag of clubs around a lawn looking for a tiny ball and hole to put it in all day isn’t one of them. Honestly, the best parts of the game are driving the ball, putting and driving around in the golf cart.
All three of these skills can better be implemented in any reputable driving range/putt-putt/go-cart facility without having to walk around aimlessly all afternoon (Here’s a million-dollar idea – anyone want to partner with me on this). If you want to master golf, there’s a steep price you must pay mentally, physically, and financially. The same could be said for those who aspire to be great leaders.
Can you drink of the cup that I drink of… (Mark 10:38)
No one should aspire to lead God’s work if they are not prepared to pay a price greater than his contemporaries and colleagues are willing to pay. True leadership always exacts a heavy toll on the leader and the more effective their leadership is, the higher the price to be paid. The cost of every great achievement is not paid in a lump. It is bought on a payment plan, with installments paid daily.
Greatest Installment: Loneliness
From its very nature, the lot of the leader must be a lonely one. They must always be ahead of their followers. Human nature craves company, and it is only natural to wish to share with others the heavy burdens of responsibility and care. It’s often heartbreaking to have to make important decisions, which affect the lives of others alone. This is one of the heaviest prices to pay, but it must be paid.
Moses paid this price for his leadership – alone on the mountain…alone in the plain…alone when criticized. The socially conscious Apostle Paul (He would’ve loved Facebook & Twitter) was a lonely man who experienced the bitterness of being misunderstood by his contemporaries, misrepresentation by his enemies, and desertion by his friends.
“Most of the world’s great souls have been lonely,” wrote A.W. Tozer. Leaders must be people who, while welcoming the friendship and support of all who can offer it, has sufficient inner resources to stand alone, even in the face of fierce opposition.
As a leader, how do you deal with loneliness?
