I grew up in a theologically charismatic on steroids church home in downtown Chicago. We went to revivals where people were “slain in the Spirit” and would fall on the ground. People were taught to speak in tongues, prophecies were given and people would jump in the spirit for hours on end. The people loved the Lord in our almost exclusively black congregation, but it was a lot for a young boy to take in. In fact, as I got to college and started really studying Scripture, I became very skeptical of several aspects of this theological position. I’m not saying that this theological position is completely wrong, but I do believe it was overly emphasized and promoted in that church.
You see, the Holy Spirit can really be a very controversial subject in Christian and church circles. I am not looking to add to that controversy today with this topic. In fact, rather than focus on the signs and wonders of the Holy Spirit, I would like to focus on how Essential the daily role of the Holy Spirit is in the life of the Godly Leader. I do so because it took me quite some time to really understand clearly that role having the background that I had. To be honest, I’m still learning daily how to allow the Holy Spirit to do His thing in my life and leadership. I truly believe that many Christ-following Godly Leaders, unfortunately, minimize and miss that role in their leadership.
Zechariah 4:6 sums up perfectly the bottom line for the Godly Leader. It is Essential that we live not by might, not by power, but by the Spirit of the Lord.
Let’s look at the 4 ways you can stop shutting out the Holy Spirit from your leadership.
FIRST, STOP HAVING YOUR LEADERSHIP BE ABOUT YOU.
A Holy Spirit-led Godly Leader must be faithful, available, humble and teachable.
That list is the opposite to having your leadership be all about you. If you think you know it all, that where you are and what you’ve accomplished is a result of your doing and you live day by day by your agenda, you will snuff out the Holy Spirit’s ability to truly lead your life. For the Christ-following Godly Leader, the Holy Spirit is God living in you moment by moment, day by day allowing you to know that you are never alone. Pride shows itself in the Godly Leader by taking credit for God’s work in your life, always leading the leader to seek recognition, always seeming to know best and neglecting spiritual disciplines. The prideful Godly Leader ends up only truly seeking God when times are tough, not when times are good.
The antidote to this trap is humbling ourselves daily with a prayer of “here I am, Lord, send me and use me. Not my will but yours be done today.” When we seek God in this humble spirit, seek His Word for guidance and then make ourselves available to how He leads us, the Holy Spirit will move in our hearts, minds, lives and leadership like never before.
However, be prepared, because when the Holy Spirit moves the results may not be what we thought we needed. There may be drastic changes in our agendas, calendars, families, businesses, bank accounts and more.
Matthew 6:33 – “Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and He will give you everything you need.”
SECOND, CONFESS THE GARBAGE YOU KNOW IS IN YOUR LIFE.
A Holy Spirit-led Godly Leader must be confessional, prayerful, humble and truly living out God’s Word.
We live in a world where there are inputs in our lives everywhere. Social media, friend groups, school, work, soccer sidelines and more fill our daily lives that lead to a development of our heart, mind and soul. It’s not that those things are bad at all. But, by themselves, without the Holy Spirit’s work, we start living in the flesh and not in the Spirit. Remember Zechariah 4:6, we are not to live by the world’s inputs and our power, but by His Spirit. The Holy Spirit is a person with a mind, emotions and will and wants to be with us, use us and work in and through us.
As God, the Holy Spirit knows our thoughts, our sins and our hearts. If you think that you’re keeping that pornography habit from the Holy Spirit, you’re not. If you think that you’re keeping that financial indiscretion at work from the Holy Spirit, you’re not. If you think no one knows about the anger, language, or drinking issues that you have, you’re wrong. The Holy Spirit knows you, as a Christ-following Godly Leader, and wants to cleanse all of us of our garbage, also called sin. To cleanse us, He convicts us of our sin and leads us to a life of holiness. What is He convicting you of at this very moment or in this season of life?
It is Essential to listen to the Holy Spirit’s conviction and to have a proactive purposeful plan to include the Holy Spirit in our lives. That proactive purposeful plan is to start the day with a time of confession – “Holy Spirit, I confess that I will live today by my own power without your guidance. I confess my selfish ambitions and vain conceits and yield to your leading.” That is a great start to your day to set the compass and GPS in the right direction. Inputting God’s Word to start the day and continuing the day in prayer will allow the Holy Spirit the first and greatest input into your life. As a Godly Leader, that is Essential.
John 16:8 – “And when He comes, He will convict the world of its sin, and of God’s righteousness, and of the coming judgment.”
THIRD, HAVE THE COURAGE AND FORTITUDE TO DO THE GODLY THING.
A Holy Spirit-led Godly Leader must be bold, courageous and obedient.
As Godly Leaders, we would all answer a quiz correctly on an exam about what the right, Godly and courageous thing to do is. We know the right answers most of the time. On top of that, we have the Holy Spirit as our guide in the process. The issue is whether we have the courage and fortitude to obey the Holy Spirit’s prompting and guidance in the moment or season. Some of you are there right now.
Genuine Godly leadership often requires stepping into places of uncertainty, opposition, or uncharted territory. Boldness allows such a leader to act on conviction even when others hesitate; courage enables them to stand firm when their faith or direction is tested; and obedience keeps them aligned with God’s purposes rather than their own preferences. These three traits work together to create a leader who is both confident in God’s calling and humble enough to submit to the Holy Spirit’s guidance — even when that guidance challenges comfort, tradition, or personal ambition.
However, many Godly Leaders inadvertently shut out the Holy Spirit from their leadership because boldness, courage, and obedience demand surrender — a relinquishing of control that can feel threatening. When leaders prioritize predictability, reputation, or measurable success over divine direction, they often silence the Spirit’s voice in favor of their own strategies. Fear of failure or rejection can cause leaders to rely more on human wisdom, systems, or charisma than on supernatural dependence. Over time, this leads to a form of leadership that may appear strong but lacks true spiritual power.
Ultimately, a leader who resists the Spirit’s prompting may maintain order but miss transformation. True boldness and courage come not from self-assurance but from trust in God’s presence and promises. Obedience, even when costly, is the bridge between hearing the Holy Spirit and seeing God’s power at work. It is Essential that a Holy Spirit–led Godly Leader, therefore, must daily choose surrender over self, faith over fear, and divine direction over human control — for it is in that surrender that godly leadership becomes truly life-giving.
Galatians 5:16 – “So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves.”
FOURTH, DON’T PLAY CHURCH.
A Holy Spirit-led Godly Leader must be all in at church giving their time, talents and treasures to service of the Kingdom.
Living in the south, and especially in Middle Tennessee, is wonderful. I love the people, the weather, the beauty and I love the culture. I hope and pray to never leave. With all of its blessings, there is a curse on this topic. Too often, people go to church because it is the right thing to do, what they have always done or what is expected of them. Don’t get me wrong, as a churchman, I’d rather have people at church than not at church. However, we can not be Godly Leaders that check the box when it comes to church.
The reality is that we lie to the Holy Spirit, when we wear the mask of faith in order to deliver pleasure, satisfaction and approval to ourselves or from those that we seek to impress. Friends, listen to the prompting of the Holy Spirit when it comes to church – give of your time. Serve at your church – there are huge needs waiting for you to do your part. Serve the least, the last and the lost through your church’s missions work. Give your tithe, a full 10% of your income, to the Lord’s work through the local church. If you think I’m being too bold here, remember that the only time God said in His word to “test me in this” was in regards to bringing the “full tithe” in Malachi 3. Friends, this is how we are all in as Godly Leaders as it relates to church and the Holy Spirit’s leading. This is an Essential part of our faith walk.
Matthew 6:21 – “Where your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will be also.”
We could talk a lot more on this topic, but we’ll leave it there for now. What are your thoughts or questions? Leave them in the comments.
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Love being on this Essential Godly Leadership journey with you!
Essential Godly Leadership: “Leading your life, your family, your work, your relationships, and your world in a way that is seeking wisdom from, and pleasing to, the Lord Jesus.”