I Get to Be a Leader By Meghan Eastep

Becoming a Leader with a Thankful Heart

As a Christian leader, I see the world differently, and God cultivates in me a heart of thankfulness.

“I will sing to the Lord, because he has dealt bountifully with me.” 

Psalm 13:6

Each day is a gift of never-ending mercies from the Lord (Lamentations 3:22-23). Does this knowledge cause you to sing to God (literally or figuratively) because you see his overwhelming goodness? 

I Get to Do This

One of my favorite singer-songwriters, J.J. Heller, has utterly wrecked my existence in this world with her simple lyric, “I get to be the one.” I found her music when I became a mother over seven years ago, and this lyric reframed how I see all of life’s tasks.

I don’t know about you, but I am hardwired to be a glass-half-empty person. When left to my own devices, I stumble out of bed (and forget to pour my cup of ambition). I easily dread most of my to-do list because it doesn’t align with my talents and giftings; I’m not optimizing my time if I don’t work perfectly within my preferred skill set, right? Wrong.

Self-optimization is not in scripture; sanctification is. God calls us to a higher standard (holiness), and he calls us to live our lives for his glory. 

This “I get to be the one” state of mind changes how I approach everything in life, especially my work. We all have a choice to make each day. You can be a person who gets to, or a person who has to. And you can posture your heart to sing praises to the Lord because of his grace (no matter the daily checklist), or you can choose to forget.

“This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.”

Psalm 118:24

The “Get to” Versus the “Have to” Framework

Adopting a “get to” mindset transforms every interaction and every task.

Instead of “I have to put together the board packet today,” remind yourself, “I get to showcase the changes our organization has experienced in the last quarter with clarity for our board.” Even if the board pushes back and picks your packet apart, you know you practiced a “get to” mentality for the glory of the Lord. 

Instead of “I have to have a hard conversation with another leadership team member who has been rubbing some employees the wrong way,” remind yourself, “I get to support my organization and my team by speaking clearly and effectively to this co-laborer to help shepherd them in their work and leadership.” Even if the team member is taken aback and caught off guard by your feedback, you know you practiced a “get to” mentality for the glory of the Lord.

Don’t hear me wrong. I’m not encouraging you to become the world’s largest doormat. Quite the opposite! Adopting a “get to” mentality stewards your heart and mind in becoming more like Jesus, who came not to be served, but to serve (Matthew 20:28).

The Unsung Fruit of Spiritual Discipline

Thankfulness is worth the fight. Often, it’s an unsung fruit in the life of a believer. Thankfulness is directly tied to our habits of prayer, generosity, and the reading of God’s Word (three spiritual practices that are starving in many believers’ lives). We see prayer, generosity, and the word of God tied to thankfulness in many places throughout Scripture (Colossians 4:2, 2 Corinthians 9:11, 1 Timothy 4:4-5).

I encourage you to look up these verses. In them, you will find they teach us to give all of our time to prayer and stay alert to God’s world around us. We have a call to take everything in with a thankful heart. As long as it holds up to the scrutiny of the Word of God, it strengthens our connection to the Holy Spirit. If we do this, we live lives so full of gratitude that we won’t be able to stop our thankful hearts from spilling over into others’ lives. This “I get to be the one” attitude will cause others to see how good God is.

I don’t want to downplay hardship here. I don’t want to ignore that life, work, and leadership are all hard. Burnout, chronic stress, and fruitless striving threaten to crush us all (Ecclesiastes 2:17-26).

Be Thankful in All Things

However, two things can be true at once. Life and work can be hard, and yet, we can still be thankful. I encourage you, Christian, to practice thankfulness through prayer, generous giving, and faithful intake of the living and holy Word of God.
Adopt an “I get to be the one” attitude. Practice it when it’s easy, and, more importantly, when it’s hard. None of us will live up to a “get to” mentality perfectly until His Kingdom comes and His will is done. That day is coming, so Christian, let’s keep marching towards sanctification, living lives of thankfulness, despite our to-do lists.

Meghan Eastep is passionate about encouraging Christians to become more like Jesus. She uses her time and talents to glorify God as a Sales and Marketing Representative at Best Christian Workplace.

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