How Christian Leaders Can Grow, Thrive and Finish Well
When I was 13 years old, I heard a message that shaped the trajectory of my entire life. The speaker was Bill Glass, an All-Pro defensive end for the Cleveland Browns in the 1960s. But to me, he wasn’t just a football player. He was a man who helped me understand what it meant to live a whole, healthy, holy life before God.
It was 1969, and I was attending a youth conference where Bill was speaking. At one point, he said something I’ve never forgotten: “Holiness means you pursue wholeness.”
I went home and wrote on an index card: “To be the best man of God I can be in all areas: mentally, physically, socially and spiritually.” I taped the card to the mirror in my bathroom. Every morning, I looked at it and prayed, Lord, today help me grow in these four areas.
Those simple commitments to wholeness shaped my life. They helped me become healthier, holier and more useful to the mission of Christ. Looking back, I can see that not only were they preparing me to become what we call a multiplier, they also were helping me to live a thriving life and ultimately to finish well.
Dimensions of Wholeness
Human beings are wonderfully complex. God created us to live in four interrelated dimensions that Exponential identifies as “RPMS”—internal gauges for a multiplier who is pursuing health. They are:
* Relational. We are made for community, connection and love.
* Physical. Our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, meant to be stewarded wisely.
* Mental. We possess intellect, will and emotions, all to be submitted to Christ.
* Spiritual. We are created for eternal friendship with God and participation in his mission.
Holiness isn’t a narrow, one-dimensional pursuit but the lifelong integration of all that we are under the leadership of the Holy Spirit. When we grow daily in these four dimensions, we flourish. And when leaders flourish, healthy multiplication can follow.
But this growth doesn’t happen in a vacuum—it unfolds over the seasons of a lifetime.
The Four Seasons of a Leader’s Life
Life and ministry move through predictable seasons. Understanding these times of life helps us grow in the present and prepare for the future.
* Spring: The Season of Planting (under age 30). Spring is the time of identity formation and calling. Jesus’ disciples were all in this season, which was no accident. Spring is the season of inner-life work, where character is formed and spiritual disciplines take root. Obedience matters more than gifting. Character matters more than platform.
* Summer: The Season of Growing (age 30 to 50). In this season, skills are honed and influence expands. Leadership weight grows heavier, and the greatest danger is subtle self-reliance. Success can tempt leaders to trust themselves more than God. Healthy leaders in this season cultivate deeper dependency on Christ in both victories and disappointments.
* Autumn: The Season of Harvest (age 51 to 65). Autumn is the season of convergence. Gifts, experience, education, networks and calling merge to create maximum impact. Health requires focus. Leaders must learn to say no to the many good opportunities so they can say yes to their highest kingdom contribution. It is also a time of recommitting to identity in Christ, especially as the realization dawns that not every dream will come true.
* Winter: The Season of Legacy (age 65 and over). Winter isn’t a season of decline but a time when leaders can carry forward the seeds of a lifetime of wisdom. Those seeds can either die with them or be planted into the next generation. Winter also is when healthy leaders learn to let go. They release position, empower successors, and pour their lives into mentoring others. They distill and distribute godly wisdom.
Here, however, is the sobering reality. Christian leadership researcher J. Robert Clinton found that only 1 out of 3 Christian leaders finishes well, which he describes with these six characteristics:
- A vibrant relationship with Christ
- A learning posture
- Christlike character
- Congruence between words and deeds
- Legacy transfer to the next generation
- A sense of destiny fulfilled
Unfortunately, according to Clinton, the other two-thirds of Christian leaders burn out, fade out, drop out or plateau, perhaps because they try to live forever in Summer. But God designed life to move toward Winter—a season of legacy, devoted to multiplication.
The Epitaph That Matters
I am in Winter, but I don’t want to coast. I want to keep growing—relationally, physically, mentally and spiritually—so that I can thrive now and finish well. Because the goal of the Christian life is a flourishing life that ends in a faithful legacy—one that multiplies disciples, leaders, communities and churches long after we’re gone.
As I have grown older, I’ve thought more about what I would want written on my headstone. One biblical figure comes to mind time and again: Barnabas. He is often a forgotten figure in the New Testament. He wasn’t as brilliant as Paul or as prominent as Peter, but he was a multiplier. He mentored Paul, helped build the church at Antioch, planted churches, and invested in John Mark—the man who would write the Gospel of Mark.
Scripture summarizes Barnabas’ life in these words: “He was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and faith, and a great number of people were brought to the Lord” (Acts 11:24).
That’s an epitaph worth pursuing.
