“If anyone serves Me, he must follow Me; and where I am, there My servant will be also; if anyone serves Me, the Father will honor him.” – John 12:26

On occasion, a spiritual leader will have a conversion experience. Someone who has been earnestly serving God’s Church find themselves becoming a part of the Church for the first time. The baptizer gets baptized. The soul-winner is won. How can this be?

Jesus’ words in John 12:26 warn against the reality that people will attempt to serve Him without following Him first. The sentiment is echoed in Jesus’ warning on the Sermon on the Mount. He claims that many who attempt to serve Him by casting out demons and working miracles in His name will not make it in the kingdom (Matthew 7:21-23). Apparently, ministry effectiveness is not an entrance requirement. How freeing!

The call to follow Christ must be answered first for everyone who claims to be a servant of the Lord. And this call is a daily one. Christ invites us daily to pick up our cross and follow Him in His ways to do the will of the Father (Luke 9:23). So the issue of following first is not just for the cold, lifeless servant, but even the spiritually-vibrant servant who must decide daily whether her first priority is Christ or ministry.

The reality is that this temptation is real for every spiritual leader. The reasons for this temptation is worth more words for another time, but every leader has experienced it in one form or another. I’ve written sermons without spending quality time with the Lord. I’ve prayed in public while neglecting the closet. I have put the work before the Word too many times to deny this reality in my life.

One of the most memorable lessons from my time in college was from a professor who I also served under in my local church. It was a simple lesson about the stages of spiritual leadership. Simply put, “God leads me. I lead me. I lead others.” The sequence of discipleship first, then discipline, and then finally leadership stuck with me for years. But even though it is simple, Jesus’ warnings and the personal experiences of God’s servants over the years prove it to be more difficult in practice.

This site seeks to champion the basic Christian principle of following first and experiencing the blessings of that obedience. These blessings, when truly sought and cultivated, will prove so much better than any earthly benefits that may come our way in a self-powered ministry. Below are three of the blessings of Following First:

1. Following First Promotes Intimacy

To go for Jesus, we first need to be with Jesus. It is literally impossible to do what Jesus calls us to in our ministry if we are not closely connected with Him. Jesus said, “I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing” (John 15:5). “Nothing” is not an overstatement. Just as a branch disconnected from the root will not grow or bear fruit, so will the ministry leader, even the gifted ones, without a deep connection to Christ.

How many burnout stories are there of ministry leaders who have lost their first love? How many have put their relationship with God on the altar of ministry? What about those whose powerless ministry led them to bitterness instead of joy? These things are temptations for every ministry leader when following becomes secondary or even last. Putting our relationship with Him first keeps us close enough to fulfill His calling with joy and wisdom.

2. Following First Prioritizes Identity

The Gospel of Luke tells the story of Jesus sending out the seventy-two disciples. Upon their return, they express their excitement that the demons are subject to them in Jesus’ name. We probably would’ve joined them if we cast out demons like they did! But it’s Jesus’ response that’s noteworthy: “Nevertheless, do not rejoice in this, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven” (Luke 10:20). On the tail end of a big ministry win for the disciples, Jesus redirects their attention toward their identity. As important as their service is, their salvation is even more important.

Ministry leaders can have a difficult time finding their identity and worth apart from their job. If you have “pastor” in front of your name long enough, it can seem like that’s all you are. When we follow first, we remember that before we are a servant of the King, we are a child of the King. Before we were appointed, we were adopted. Prioritizing our identity helps us live out of the confidence that comes with all the spiritual blessings that God has granted us in Christ (Ephesians 1:3).

3. Following First Prevents Hypocrisy

Few set out to be a hypocrite. Nobody looks at the Pharisees in the Gospels and thinks, “That’s going to be me one day.” Most people slip into hypocrisy through years of compromise, lack of discipline, and taking the easy road. This is because it is easier to teach people to do the right thing than to do the right thing. In fact, some ministry leaders may be able to get away with years of talking the talk without walking the walk. But ultimately, “Nothing is covered up that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known” (Luke 12:2).

There’s that word again: “nothing.” Even though others may not see it now, our lack of integrity will catch up to us one day. But when we follow first, we are able to lead out of our obedience and our relationship with Christ. We are able to take people to a place that we have actually been. We know the terrain and we’re comfortable with it. And we don’t have to fear being exposed because our life is marked by the integrity of an obedient, albeit imperfect, follower.

Always Follow First

Following first is the greatest blessing a ministry leader can commit himself to. It lays the foundation for the service that he is called to – a genuine service to Christ Himself. It secures the power necessary for the ministry that only closeness with the Lord can provide. It prevents the dreaded double life that befalls so many ministry leaders. And as Jesus promised in John 12:26, we will be where Jesus is and the Father will honor us, which is better than any earthly promise or honor that man can offer.