Stewards of Our Emotions By Howard Rich

Stewarding Our Emotions as a Leader

In its essence, leading as a steward requires alignment with the will of the Father. Jesus demonstrated this through intense agony and overwhelming emotions in the Garden of Gethsemane (Matthew 26:36-46) the night before his crucifixion.  This passage of Scripture shines a bright light on the humanity of Jesus and the real struggle. We learn all He went through as He emptied Himself and followed the will of the Father.  The battle with His emotions was raw as He asked for the responsibility and task of accepting the punishment for sin to be taken away.  While dealing with the gravity of what lay before Him, His sweat was like drops of blood (Luke 22:44).

Discernment

As a Leader, it is sometimes difficult to know what to do with your own emotions.  Scripture tells us that our Lord agonized to the point of death over taking up the cup of wrath, even requesting the Father take the cup away if possible.  Leaders make decisions on a daily basis that affect the lives of the people they lead.  These decisions could involve salaries, insurance benefits, relocation, and continued employment with the organization.  It is natural to feel emotions as we work through the myriad of decisions.

Navigation

Acknowledging three issues can help a leader navigate emotions as they carry out their responsibilities as a steward of what is under their care.

1. Recognize we are dealing with people created in God’s image, with souls He cares about.
2. He has asked us to shepherd these wonderful people in the workplace, which means caring how our decisions impact them.
3. The final actor is to see the Father as always available for us to bring our agony to Him in prayer; He will tell us what to do if we ask.

We may have to be persistent, as Jesus taught us in the Garden, but He will let you know how to deal with your emotions as you make decisions as His steward.

Alignment

I don’t know about you, but I have never faced a situation where the fate of humanity depends on a decision I need to make.  Sometimes, it feels like the weight of the world might be on me, but the reality is that burden has already been relieved through the work of Christ.  My task is to align my decision-making with the will of the Creator by seeking Him in Scripture and through prayer.

Emotions are an integral part of us as stewards of what God has placed under our care.  You will serve those you lead well by taking those emotions to the Father as you seek to submit to His will.

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Howard Rich is the CFO of Global Disciples.  Howard is a life-long advocate of generous living and desires to see Christians lead from a heart of stewardship and generosity.

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