The Inner Life of a Lasting Leader
A Leadership Devotional Talk
2 Chronicles 26:3–5, 15–16
Introduction
Hey friends, tonight I want to talk with you about leading from a place of strength. Leading from a place of integrity. And that only happens if we are intentional about caring for our soul. So, let’s talk about the inner life of a lasting leader.
As leaders, if your days are anything like mine — then they are packed full of responsibilities — right? Like appointments, conversations, deadlines, and decisions. And all of that has the potential of wearing you out.
But for the next few moments, I want to invite you to slow down, take a deep breathe, and open your heart to hear what the Lord might want to say to you.
Here’s what I’ve discovered:
Leadership is not for the weak or faint of heart.
Because, it brings challenges into our lives at the deepest of levels. It also has a way of pulling us in every direction (sometimes at the same time).
Yet, every leader I’ve ever met has the same desire: we want to lead well. We want our lives and ministries to matter. We want to see fruit, impact, and success. (Right?)
If my experience has taught me anything, it’s that sometimes our role and responsibilities can lead us to only see what’s happening around us (all the meetings, the deadlines, the challenges, and ministry needs), and cause us to miss (or neglect), what’s happening within us!
But Scripture reminds us that true, lasting leadership isn’t built on talent alone nor is it measured only by results. BUT…It’s built on something deeper.
But, it’s built on character.
That’s the lesson we find in 2 Chronicles 26 — it comes from the story of King Uzziah.
If you have your Bible, look at it with me. Ezra writes and tells us (In verse 3):
3 Uzziah was sixteen years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem fifty-two years. His mother’s name was Jekoliah; she was from Jerusalem. 4 He did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, just as his father Amaziah had done. 5 He sought God during the days of Zechariah, who instructed him in the fear of God. As long as he sought the Lord, God gave him success.
So, he was only sixteen when he became king. But he reigned for 52 years.
In the beginning, he seemed to get things right — he sought the Lord, he listened to wise counsel, and God gave him great success.
Under his leadership, the nation of Judah experienced prosperity and military strength. He rebuilt Jerusalem’s defenses, expanded the nation’s territories, and modernized the army.
And that’s what the verses I just read describe. But in verses 15-16, his story takes a heartbreaking turn, here the Bible tells us,
2 Chronicles 26:15–16 (NIV)
15 …His fame spread far and wide, for he was greatly helped until he became powerful. 16 But after Uzziah became powerful, his pride led to his downfall. He was unfaithful to the Lord his God, and entered the temple of the Lord to burn incense on the altar of incense.
So, he’s the king — and doing well. But as he experienced success, his pride increased, and he became self-reliant instead of God-dependent!
And his arrogance and pride led him to step outside of his lane and try to function like the High Priest.
Listen again to verse 16:
“…after Uzziah became powerful, his pride led to his downfall.”
Think about that for a moment. He didn’t fall on the battlefield. He wasn’t defeated by an enemy army. His collapse didn’t come from the outside — it came from the inside.
His downfall was pride. He stopped paying attention to his inner life. He stopped leading himself.
And that’s not just his story — too often it’s ours as well. In life and in leadership, we must give our greatest attention to the things going on inside of us.
John Maxwell once said, “The hardest person to lead is ourselves.”
And I’ve found that to be true. So tonight, I want challenge with three things, actions or applications — to help ensure you last as a lead!
And the first one is this—
I challenge you to…
1. SEEK THE LORD — BEFORE YOU SEEK SUCCESS
Uzziah’s story begins with this key phrase:
“As long as he sought the Lord, God gave him success.” (v. 5)
Success isn’t wrong. In fact, it’s good to want your ministry to grow and to reach more people. But success can become dangerous when it increases at a rate greater than your soul. When your calendar grows but your character doesn’t, that’s a problem.
Intentional dependence on God isn’t optional — it’s essential. Because in the end: True success doesn’t come from your hustle; it comes from Him!
You can have staff wins, ministry wins, budget wins — and still lose the one thing that matters most: your daily walk with the Lord.
So before we chase growth, before we measure outcomes, let’s be leaders who seek Him first. Because our public influence will always be anchored in our private devotion.
2. GUARD YOUR HEART — WHEN THINGS GO WELL
Scripture says in verse 16, ‘But after Uzziah became powerful, his pride led to his downfall.’
Notice — it wasn’t a struggle or battle that took him down, it was success.
While we was quick to guard Jerusalem and the nation of Judah — he failed to guard his own heart. As he grew stronger in power, he grew weaker in faith. While his armies and success increased, so did pride and self-reliance. It was pride that led him to cross a boundary that God had established (for his protection).
He wasn’t content with the role God had given him as king — he wanted to take on the role of a priest. So he entered the temple and tried to burn incense on the altar (something only the priests— the descendants of Aaron), were permitted to do (2 Chronicles 26:16–18).
That boundary wasn’t there to hold him back — it was there to protect him.
God’s commands are never arbitrary; they are always purposeful, reasoned, and intended to protect us! But pride has a way of blurring our vision — leading us to overstep God’s boundaries. Pride sits at the root of all sin — it’s demanding for ourselves something that doesn’t belong to us.
For Uzziah, crossing that boundary led to struggle, judgment and ultimately to the loss of his influence. The consequences of Uzziah’s pride were devastating.
- When he overstepped God’s boundary, judgment fell immediately—leprosy broke out on his forehead for everyone to see.
- From that moment on, he lived in isolation, separated from the temple of the Lord and from the community he once led.
- His authority slipped away — and his son Jotham was forced to govern in his place.
For us as leaders, the same principle holds true:
Pride is costly – guard your heart!
Uzziah’s pride cost him his health, his fellowship with God’s people, his leadership role, and his legacy. And it will do the same for you and me.
Here’s a Leadership Lesson for us:
Success will test your heart far more than adversity ever will!
So guard your heart from pride.
I wonder, what does this temptation look like in our lives, where could this be a temptation — as a leader or pastor (where you are serving)? I think it could look like this:
- Usurping Authority – Stepping outside of God-given roles, ignoring proper channels, or bypassing accountability because we think we’ve already “proven ourselves.”
- Grasping for Position – Seeking a title, role, or platform that God hasn’t entrusted to us, rather than faithfully stewarding where we are.
- Craving Recognition – Longing for notoriety, applause, or the spotlight, rather than quietly serving for God’s glory.
- Misplaced Frustration – Taking out stress, disappointment, or pressure on those closest to us (like our spouse or family), instead of bringing it to the Lord.
- Neglecting Dependence – Relying more on our own gifting, strategy, or charisma than on prayer and the empowering of the Spirit.
- Resisting Correction – Bristling when others speak into our lives, seeing feedback as a threat instead of a gift.
- Comparing and Competing – Measuring ourselves against others, fueling either pride in “being ahead” or insecurity in “falling behind.”
I say — these things are really the warning signs—or red flags, that reveal that pride is at work within us.
So Remember — when a leader stumbles, it’s usually in the light.
While adversity may stretch you — prosperity will expose you. I’s not usually the storms that undo a leader — it’s the sunshine. Again: Success will test your heart far more than adversity ever will!
So let me ask you: How’s your heart? (Not your ministry. Not your numbers…but your heart.)
Are you staying humble? Are you staying accountable? Are you staying dependent upon Jesus?
Because pride rarely announces its arrival. Rather, it whispers lies like: “You deserve this. You’ve earned this. You don’t need anyone else’s input.”
And that’s why it’s so important that leaders guard their hearts — especially when things are going well.
Alright, last challenge: you must…
3. STRENGTHEN YOUR SOUL — WITH HOLY HABITS
Uzziah’s downfall wasn’t one bad choice. It was slow neglect of his soul over time.
Principle: The soul weakens without consistent care, but holy habits make it strong.
Leaders, your daily habits are shaping you — for strength or for weakness. The question is: which direction are they taking you?
Scripture reminds us in 1 Timothy 4:7–8 (NIV): “Train yourself to be godly. For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come.”
That’s the call — training your soul with the habits of prayer, Scripture, worship, sabbath, rest, and accountability. These aren’t “extras” for when you have time; they are essentials for every leader who wants to endure.
Think of them as guardrails — they don’t restrict you, they protect you. They keep your soul steady so your leadership doesn’t crash. And more than that, they give you the strength not just to start well, but to finish well.
Closing Challenge
Uzziah’s story is sobering, but it doesn’t have to be our story. If we want to be leaders who last, then we must:
- Seek the Lord first. We must never allow ministry to replace intimacy with the Lord.
- Guard our hearts. Pride, sin, and burnout are all subtle matters, but they’re also deadly.
- Strengthen our souls with intentional holy habits. Remember — consistency, not charisma, is what leads to longevity and fruitfulness in ministry and leadership.
Understand, your Church doesn’t just need capable (or gifted) leaders — it needs healthy (and holy) leaders. It needs leaders whose inner lives are strong enough to carry the weight of their calling!
Reflection Questions
As we close, I want you to slow down your thoughts and reflect on these questions:
- When am I seeking the Lord beyond the demands and responsibilities for my ministry?
- In what area(s) might I be allowing pride or fatigue to creep in to my life? Because I think, both lead to the same place if compromise, crossing godly boundaries, and blurred lines.
- What one habit could I begin, or return to, that would strengthen my soul in days ahead? One new or renewed holy habit?
Closing Prayer
“Lord, here we are at the end of the day. We want to be leaders who last. Guard our hearts from pride, from burnout, and from self-reliance. Teach us to seek You first, to walk humbly with You, and to strengthen our souls with holy habits — so that we can faithfully lead others for years to come. In Jesus’ name, Amen.”