Most leaders I know don’t struggle with laziness.
They struggle with not knowing how to rest.
After a hard season, I recently tried to “get back to work”—to rebuild momentum, push forward, and operate at full speed again.
But instead of clarity and energy… I crashed.
It forced me to confront something I’ve been slowly learning:
Rest isn’t a reward for good work.
It’s meant to be our way of working.
Or as Jesus invites us:
“Come to me… and I will give you rest… for my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28–30)
That runs counter to almost everything our culture—and even leadership culture—teaches us.
We’re told to:
→ push harder
→ move faster
→ measure outcomes
→ get it done at all costs
But what if that’s not actually where our best work comes from?
What I’m learning (and relearning) is this:
- Growth doesn’t come from striving—it comes from abiding (John 15:4–5)
- Clarity isn’t forced—it’s received.
- Sustainable leadership flows from being, not just doing
There’s a slower, quieter, more relational way to lead.
The kind of leadership that trusts:
→ not everything depends on you (“The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.” — Exodus 14:14)
→ not every outcome is yours to carry
→ some of the most important work is happening beneath the surface
Like a seed growing in the soil—unseen, but steady (Mark 4:26–29).
Recently, Jesus clarified something for me:
The work I do in response to His calling is simply the path where He invites me to fellowship with Him. It’s not really about the outcomes—which He can accomplish without me—but that THIS is how He wants me to e with Him.
For me, this has meant embracing a posture of rest in the middle of responsibility, not just stepping away from it.
Choosing, like Mary in Luke 10, what is better—sitting at His feet over frantic busyness.
Learning to let Him lead, restore, and carry—just like Psalm 23 describes:
“He makes me lie down… He leads me… He restores my soul.”
And surprisingly, that posture doesn’t diminish impact—it deepens it.
If you’re leading in any capacity and feel like you’re running on empty, this might be worth asking:
What would it look like to lead from abiding in Jesus instead of striving?
Not less commitment.
Not less excellence.
Just a different source.
A better one.