7 BOASTING IN WEAKNESS However, is this a mindset that leaders can or should adopt today? Is this a mindset a leader outside of a church or ministry organization should seek to employ? If so, what would it look like for leaders to "boast" in—i.e., embrace—their weaknesses? Fortunately, Scripture provides the answer with several examples. Moreover, numerous examples from contemporary leadership literature support this concept. This article will argue that leaders should boast about their shortcomings and will demonstrate how they can accomplish this action regardless of their leadership position. Weak Leaders Abide The foundational way Christian leaders can boast of their weakness is by abiding in Christ. In John 15:5, Jesus calls His disciples to remain connected to Him for their ability to bear fruit. He then provides the solemn reminder that apart from Him, a follower of Jesus can do nothing. Leaders who boast about weaknesses must first grasp and apply this core truth. Leaders cannot do anything praiseworthy on their own apart from the empowering work of Jesus in their life. Therefore, Christian leaders must learn to abide in Jesus to produce fruit in their lives and leadership. When leaders practice the discipline of abiding, they demonstrate their need for Christ and their inability to bear fruit on their own. This magnifies the power of Christ and simultaneously highlights the leader’s weakness. But how does a leader, or any follower of Jesus, abide in Christ? Richard Foster provides some helpful guidance in this area. Foster notes that a person’s will is not strong enough to enable them to grow and bear spiritual fruit. Instead, individuals must allow God’s grace to work in them through the practice of the spiritual disciplines. These disciplines include prayer, fasting, Bible study, solitude, service, confession, and worship. As leaders practice these elements, they open their lives to the Holy Spirit to transform them from the inside out and empower them to bear fruit for God’s glory.2 However, the noise and busyness of life can prevent a leader from practicing the discipline of abiding in Christ. Leaders are inundated with emails, text messages, meeting requests, and a barrage of social media messages. Therefore, leaders must learn to take control of these
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