The Weight of Walking On Higher Ground
“To whom much is given, much will be required.” —Luke 12:48 (NIV)
Leadership often appears grand and even glamorous from a distance. Titles, influence, and opportunity can seem like the rewards of success. Yet in God’s Kingdom, leadership is never about ascending to power; it is about descending into servanthood. Every promotion becomes an invitation to deeper humility. That is a radical shift from how most people understand leadership and authority. The higher one rises in leadership, the narrower and more refining the path becomes.
When you carry responsibility for others, everything changes. The weight of your words grows heavier, your actions draw greater attention, and your example reaches farther than you realize. What once could be spoken casually must now be measured prayerfully. What once felt private now becomes more public. What once seemed small now carries eternal significance. In leadership, every choice matters, and each decision becomes an act of stewardship before God.
Moses learned this truth through painful experience. Early in his ministry, his impulsive passion had to be redirected by God’s hand. Later, as the shepherd of an entire nation, one unguarded moment of frustration at a rock (Numbers 20) cost him his entrance into the Promised Land. The higher Moses rose in leadership, the smaller his margin became for self-driven or self-centered decisions. Moses’ journey reminds us that every step upward in spiritual influence demands a step downward in humility. True leadership is not measured by how much authority we gain, but by how willingly we submit that authority to God. The higher we rise in leadership, the greater our call to walk in surrender, integrity, and reverent dependence upon Him.
Paul expressed this same tension in his letter to the Corinthian church when he said in 1 Corinthians 6:12,
“All things are permissible for me, but not all things are beneficial.”
So to be clear, Spiritual maturity doesn’t expand freedom; it refines it. Freedom in Christ isn’t the liberty to live without limits, it’s the power to live within God’s will. True leaders understand that freedom is not found in self-expression but in self-surrender. Authority without submission breeds pride, but authority under God’s control produces humility, integrity, and lasting influence.
Jesus modeled this perfectly. Though He possessed all authority, He chose humility. Though He was free above all, He stooped to serve all. Though Heaven’s armies stood ready at His command, He embraced obedience over deliverance and carried the cross in our place. The greatest leader in history chose the lowest road. Because His mission demanded it, He lived in complete surrender, rejecting every trace of self-promotion so the Father’s will could be fulfilled through Him.
Here are a couple of questions for you to reflect upon:
- When I make decisions, do I first seek God’s direction or rely on my own judgment?
- Does my leadership draw people closer to Christ or closer to me?
- Do my words and my actions reflect the weight of my influence?
- Is my leadership producing humility in me—or subtly feeding my self-importance?
- Am I leading from a position of privilege or stewardship?
Today’s Prayer:
Heavenly Father, thank you for trusting me with the care and leadership of others. As You entrust these moments — and even more to my care, would you teach me to walk even more carefully. Help me to view my freedoms in life through the lens of love for you and others. May my choices always be guided by the reality that others are watching and they’re following my lead. Teach me live humbly and fully surrendered to You at all times. And through it all, may I never forget that walking on higher ground requires a responsible and holy life. I pray this in Jesus name, amen!
The powerful truths expressed here are transformational and apply in every area of leadership the Christian steps into, whether that means in church, family, or elsewhere. It is one thing to “only be responsible for yourself”, but quite a different matter when you become responsible for the well-being and spiritual heath of others. Leadership does bring a new level of responsibility, but with that comes a new level of privilege. It is an honor to be entrusted to lead. May we do so with humility!
Super convicting as I’ve had opportunity this week to check my spirit. Today’s perverse and broken society and how it seeps into the church causes such grief that my love and passion for the care of the sheep and my righteous anger against sin makes me want to strike the rock more than lay down my life for the congregation of complainers! I often feel more like Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde instead of Moses who was called the most meek man alive? (Numbers 12:3). Nevertheless, Pastoring often requires true repentance when I speak or act harshly, especially when I have to correct or confront people in our body.
Your Holy Spirit Convicting declaration has encouraged and convicted me today especially these two sentences;
“True leaders understand that freedom is not found in self-expression but in self-surrender. Authority without submission breeds pride, but authority under God’s control produces humility, integrity, and lasting influence.”
I need HIS humility, integrity, more than ever, so that the lasting influence will be “fruit that lasts!”