By Zabrina Ramirez
Anyone else ever been sucker-punched by what was written in a book? Just me? Well, as Haddon said a couple weeks ago, our team is reading the book titled “The Emotionally Healthy Leader” by Peter Scazzero. The first three chapters have been filled with wisdom and some incredible ways of reflecting on my life and my role as a leader. They were chapters that really challenged me… and then I got to Chapter 4: Slow Down for Loving Union. Ooof. Slow down? I’ve never been particularly good at slowing down and it seems to be getting harder each year that I don’t address it. My guess is that many of you are in the same boat. It’s hard to slow down when there’s somewhere you have to be every night of the week. It’s hard to slow down when social media is blowing up your phone. It’s hard to slow down when you’re just trying to keep up. It’s hard to slow down when ____ fill in the blank.
The consequences of not slowing down though are dangerous. Scazzero starts the chapter with the story of a founding pastor with a rapidly growing church whose life is, frankly, a mess. He’s involved in an affair, leaves his position as pastor, and loses his family. In the midst of his life falling apart his church still appeared to be thriving. It reminds me of those times people ask you how you’re doing and all you say is “Fine” when there’s so much more behind that one word.
Now, this man’s story is not one I personally resonate with. What got my attention was when the author went on to write about the danger of leading without Jesus: “...it is possible to build a church, an organization, or a team by relying on our own gifts, talents, and experience. We can serve Christ in our own energy and wisdom. We can expand a ministry or business without thinking much of Jesus or relying on him in the process.” Just because we can do these things doesn’t mean we should. Scazzero then goes on to share Matthew 7:21-23 where Jesus cuts to the chase and says not all who DO things in His name will be KNOWN by Him. Knowing our heavenly Father is far different from being with him.
The theme of this section is that no success matters if we remain unknown by Christ and we will not be known by Christ if we are not slowing down and surrendering. The rest of the chapter was filled with practical steps on slowing down and realigning priorities with prayer, rest, relationships, and work. The most encouraging words were the last few lines, “Inhale, exhale, and relax. We don’t suddenly slam on the brakes of life to slow down and get it all at once.”
