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Jul 11, 2026 06:00am

Leaders Don’t Point the Way—They Lead the Way

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The Gift of Leadership. Some people are naturally gifted as leaders. That doesn’t make them more important than others—it simply means they have a different gifting.

Some believers, in addition to their natural abilities, have also received the spiritual gift of leadership. A spiritual gift is a God-given ability for service, empowering us to build up the body of Christ and serve others for God’s glory.

Peter: A Leader Who Followed

Peter clearly possessed both natural leadership ability and the spiritual gift of leadership. Throughout the Gospels, he was often the first to speak, the first to act, and the one others naturally followed.

After Jesus‘ crucifixion and resurrection, the disciples were no longer with Him constantly. For a brief time, they seemed unsure of what to do as they waited for the coming of the Holy Spirit.

Then Peter made a simple announcement:

“I’m going fishing.” *John 21:3*

The other disciples responded:

“We’re coming with you.” *John 21:3*

Leaders naturally move first.

One way you can recognize a leader is by looking behind them to see if anyone is following. Some lead more boldly than others. Some lead more quietly. Some lead more prayerfully. But leaders lead, and good leaders are followed.

Good Leaders Follow Jesus

The disciples followed Peter out onto the water, but after fishing all night, they caught nothing.

Then Jesus appeared on the shore.

He instructed them where to cast their net, and suddenly it was filled with fish.

When John recognized that the man on the shore was Jesus, Peter didn’t hesitate. He jumped into the water and swam toward the Lord while the others followed in the boat. Once again, Peter’s instinct was to move first.

Later, Jesus instructed the disciples to bring some of the fish ashore.

Peter was the first to respond.

Without hesitation, he obeyed the Lord’s command.

That’s what faithful leaders do.

Leaders don’t merely point the way—they lead the way.

If you are a leader, don’t deny your gifting. God has placed people in your life and entrusted you with opportunities to influence them for His glory.

But remember this:

The effectiveness of your leadership will always be determined by the direction you’re following.

If you desire to become a godly leader, follow Jesus first.

He always leads in the right direction. As Psalm 23 reminds us, “He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake.”

The greatest leaders are those who first become faithful followers of Jesus.