Do you have situations in your life that are keeping you from total commitment to your area of leadership? (207-4)

The effective leader must pass the “Commitment Test.” Read Luke 18:18-23.

During the three years of Jesus’ public ministry, as His popularity grew, many people desired to be close to Him, join His team, seek affirmation for their life decisions, and get His answers to spiritual questions. It is refreshing that Jesus always went straight to the central issues in their life that would keep them from finding the answers they sought and achieving their potential.

John Maxwell in The Maxwell Leadership Bible discusses commitment, the central issue of the rich young ruler’s life:

When the rich young man approached Jesus to ask about eternal life, the Lord gave him a radical imperative: Sell all you possess and give it to the poor, then come and follow me.

Jesus did not say this to everyone. In fact, He said it only to His disciples. He knew this man needed the challenge, even though he refused to accept it. Only greed held him back from freedom. Even though he claimed to obey all the commands, he miserably failed at the first one: “You shall have no other gods before me” (Exodus 20:3).

Jesus went straight to the central issue, preventing him from making a commitment he desperately needed to make. The man walked away, full of sadness. He clung to what he had instead of committing to what he could obtain.

Do you have situations, possessions or relationships in your life that are keeping you from total commitment to your area of leadership? Are you committed to things that keep you from being an effective leader? Effective leadership flows from commitment to the right things. As leaders who are followers of Christ, the single most important commitment in a leader’s life is to God. Any true and eternal success leaders experience will flow from that commitment.