I feel like I am failing

For a lot of my young leadership life, I have done things on a daily basis-like my quiet time, my Bible study, my spiritual disciplines and my worldview-that I felt had little to do with leadership. My leadership life consisted of meetings with volunteer leaders, studying for messages, discipling and meeting with others, evangelism programs, etc. It has been easy to compartmentalize my life. I have fallen into the trap of believing my relationship with God has nothing to do with my leadership.

But the reality is that it was through my relationship with God that I was called to be an ambassador of Christ to spread the ministry and the message of reconciliation to a lost world (2 Corinthians 5:19-20). My leadership calling came as a result of my growing relationship with Christ, so why should I ever separate my leadership from my walk with Him?

None of us just "walked" into our positions of leadership. We were CALLED and have been blessed with the opportunity to build up and edify the church. Ephesians 4:7 says: "But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it" (NIV). (For more encouragement, read Ephesians 4:1-16.) Christ has given leaders the necessary amount of grace needed to fulfill our individual callings. You and I both have the calling; you and I both have the grace needed to carry out the calling.

Paul continues to encourage us through the scriptures by saying: "I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle, be patient, bearing one another in love" (Ephesians 4:1 NIV).

As a young pastor, I often feel so ill-equipped to lead in ministry. Many times, I feel like God made a mistake when I got my job at the local church that I serve in. But what I have learned is that it is completely natural for young leaders to think we don't belong or even have feelings of "Why me?"

That's probably what caused God to say, "Yes you! You can do it, but not by your strength or wisdom, but by mine!" So be encouraged, you leader of God. Be encouraged because God wants you to reach others for the Gospel more than you do, and if you let Him, He will take you far beyond your expectations (Ephesians 3:20).

Reza Zadeh
nine70 young adults ministry
Timberline Church