Now it is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful. I care very little if I am judged by you or by any human court; indeed, I do not even judge myself. My conscience is clear, but that does not make me innocent. It is the Lord who judges me.

1 Corinthians 4:2-4

Years ago, a seasoned pastor was faced with a tough decision. This pastor knew whatever choice he made, there would be members of his church congregation who disagreed and who would vocally oppose the choice this pastor made. So the pastor prayed, he studied biblical examples, he sought wise counsel, and he waited for the best choice to become clear. He was sure of one thing: there would be no easy answer.

Have you ever been faced with making a difficult decision; a decision with which someone was sure to disagree?

In 1 Corinthians 4, Paul spoke of a similar situation, and his words resonate through the ages to those of us tasked with making difficult decisions. We want to make the best choice possible while doing the least amount of damage to others, to the organization (or family or community), and to our integrity.

In these instances, what’s at stake is something even more important than the consequences of the choice. While we may never know if the choice we’ve made was the best one possible, what matters most is faithfulness: faithfulness to God and to those entrusted to our care.

In tough situations, it’s easy to take the path of least resistance, and it’s tempting to make the popular choice. But faithful leadership often requires a more difficult path.

QUESTIONS FOR YOU:

When you have a tough decision to make, what strategies do you use to help you find your way? What have you learned about faithful leadership? When people disagree with your leadership, how do you respond to them?

PRAYER:

Lord, I wish every decision I make as a leader could be an easy one. Give me wisdom when I face difficult choices, where the path before me is unclear. In all things, let faithfulness guide me — faithfulness to you and to those entrusted to my care. Amen.

Explore more at the Theology of Work Project online Bible commentary: Leadership as Service (1 Corinthians 4:1–4)