Daniel Seabaugh

One unfortunate reality I’ve seen in ministry is the temptation to make things look better than they actually are. The temptation often plays out as embellishing ministry impact so that congregants, volunteers, and financial supporters are pleased and willing to continue giving, serving, and attending. I sometimes wonder if it stems from a leader’s desire to cover up inadequacies or win approval.

I’m guessing every leader falls prey to this temptation from time to time. Instead of being servants of God, we perform for people. Instead of relying on the power of God, we boast in our abilities and play to our strengths. We wear the glory instead of putting it on Jesus. We seek the wrong kind of excellence.

Ministry should be done with excellence, to be sure. Making disciples is a big deal. It’s sacred work that deserves our best. Yet, embellishment of any kind is dishonest and deceptive. It lacks integrity.

“Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.”

—Philippians 2:3-4

What we do for God is important, but why we do it is even more important. God sees the heart. He’s more concerned about our motives than he is about our ability to accomplish great things.

Many impactful leaders have fallen because they polished the outside of the cup while neglecting the inside. They paid little attention to their interior life and were deceived by the applause of others. How can we avoid such mistakes?

There’s a story in Scripture that can help us here.

First Samuel 16 recounts the choosing of young David as Israel’s anointed king. Samuel, the leader of Israel, came to the house of Jesse by order of God to select the next king. Jesse had eight sons. Seven of them were selected to pass before Samuel. They each looked the part of a leader. They were handsome, strong, tall, and seemingly eager to be in a position of influence. But the Lord told Samuel that neither of these men was the chosen one.

After Samuel set eyes on one son, named Eliab, God shared a word with him that directly speaks to our discussion about making things look better than they actually are. God said to Samuel,

“Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The LORD does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.”

—1 Samuel 16:7

The Lord looks at the heart. That’s the key to the text and a warning for us when we seek impact through mere appearances.

Of course, there’s nothing wrong with being strong or tall or possessing a plethora of leadership qualities. In fact, such traits will come in handy. And we’re told that David, who became the anointed king, was “glowing with health and had a fine appearance and handsome features” (1 Samuel 16:12). No, the problem lays with placing priority on outward appearances while paying little regard to the interior life—a life of humble, surrendered obedience.

To state the matter frankly, if our motives are purely self-oriented, we don’t possess what God is looking for in a leader, even if the whole world applauds us.

Young David, the man chosen from Jesse’s sons, wasn’t even in the lineup when Samuel came to visit. In fact, after meeting the seven sons, Samuel asked Jesse, “Are these all the sons you have?”

“There is still the youngest,” Jesse answered. “He is tending the sheep.”

Essentially, what Jesse was saying is, “The youngest of my sons isn’t a leader. He’s good at tasks but not with people. There’s no need to bother with him.”

David was not in the loop of this important leadership decision even though he was one of Jesse’s sons. He was tending the sheep. He was serving God in normal, unimpressive ways. And we’re to assume that it pleased the heart of God.

Perhaps the lesson for all men and women in ministry is that God’s standard for leadership is, at times, different from our own. We have a worldly way of assessing talent and impact. God sees the heart of every person and knows who needs to be where, when they need to be there, and what they need to be doing.

Let’s not stretch the truth of our impact or put people in positions whom God hasn’t called. My hope and prayer is that we’d all seek the lowly ways of our shepherd, savior, and king.