The WOFOYO Podcast
The WOFOYO Podcast
WOFOYO SHORT: The Private Process of Leadership
Ever notice how some Christian leaders present a polished façade while others overshare every struggle on social media? Both miss the mark of true servant leadership.
Drawing from Paul's letters to Timothy and Titus, we explore what genuine leadership in the body of Christ requires—character that stands up to scrutiny. The recent wave of ministry scandals reveals what happens when gifting outpaces maturity. Leaders face a unique challenge: their platforms magnify both their strengths and flaws. Some failures expose truly demonic behavior, while others simply reveal the character deficiencies that pressure and prominence bring to light.
Yet the solution isn't broadcasting every personal struggle for clicks and attention. Jesus himself underwent wilderness testing privately before public ministry. There's wisdom in processing certain challenges with God alone, building substance behind your gifting where nobody's watching. When you've gained victory or received clear direction to share, your testimony becomes powerful—not because you're perfect, but because you've been proven.
The wilderness process may not be comfortable, but it's essential. It addresses the gap between spiritual gifts and leadership maturity. If you're sensing a call to ministry or already serving in leadership, remember that effective discipleship requires having "your stuff together" in the areas where you lead. Not perfection—substance.
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Hey everybody, welcome to another Wofo, yo Short. This is Cedah. You know, I've been reading in Paul's letters to Timothy, paul's letters to Titus, some of the shorter of Paul's epistles. One of the things he does he says you know, if a person wants to be in leadership, if they want to be in I can't stress this enough if you're going to be in a church, to be in leadership is to be a servant, and there's some requirements with that. He's talking about hey, what kind of parent are you? What kind of husband are you? What kind of wife are you? What kind of person are you? What's your characteristics? Person are you? What's your characteristics?
Speaker 1:I would agree with Bones that a lot of times we get very, very doctrinal about these, to the point of silliness. Big arguments about well, what did it mean when he should be the husband of one wife? Is it talking about divorce? Is it talking about not being a polygamist? What does that mean? All sorts of debates. There's this concept, though, that the bigger the organization man, the more public things are going to be. So, that being said, I do not, absolutely do not, believe in the fake persona, because I've seen too many ministries where so-and-so is a mighty man of God, so-and-so, is a mighty woman of God, a mighty prophetess. This dude's a mighty apostle of God. This dude is just a sound Bible teacher.
Speaker 1:And you look at part of what's happened in the last year and there's going to be more happening that a lot of these public ministries, they're having their character flaws revealed. Okay, some of them is more in the character flaw, because if you're touching kids, yeah, that's demonic. It's not just a weakness that is demonic. Let that fall where. It's not just a weakness that is demonic, let that fall where it may. But others is just plain old character flaws and there's people that are not able to handle the stress of leading and we're called to be servant leaders in the body of Christ. As ministry gets bigger. There's all this stress and all these other things which Bones and I have been going on about for years, part of why we weren't liked in some churches. You're putting pressure to perform past what the Holy Spirit is doing. You're creating an environment that fosters codependency of people and never an interdependence upon God and upon each other. It's all dependent upon ministry and God has to operate through these ministry people. So, that being said, the bigger the platform, the more public your exposure becomes. You know if you're putting up that facade.
Speaker 1:Now here's the other side of that coin. I see people out there that they have titles and all this stuff, but they want to broadcast every problem, every flaw, everything that they're doing every day, multiple times a day, and your people are just all over the place. So my thing is if I'm somebody out in the world or if I'm a young Christian, why would I want to follow you? Because you obviously don't have your stuff together and I have things that are imperfect in me. I have things that I have to go through, that the Lord is doing in me, and guess what we all do? However, there's something called discretion, and part of the process is learning how to get along with the Lord so that process can happen in private. And then when it's done and the Lord is completing that or he releases you to share what's going on, then do it.
Speaker 1:But not everybody has to see everything that you're going through. You know, if you have a family, you will be able to have plenty of people see what you go through. But yet, at the same time, in an effort to preserve innocence and because kids don't understand when I was going through problems. My kids didn't see every one of my problems that I went through. I didn't involve my kids and burden my kids with every problem that I had. However, now that my kids are adults the youngest one just turned 21 a couple days ago as they come to me and as I have been through certain processes since I've been through these processes, I can give advice. I can talk about things that have happened to me and how to be victorious in these things. I didn't burden them down as children with certain things you got to deal with. However, as they grew older, I made sure that I educated them to the best of my ability on challenges they would have as adults.
Speaker 1:So, that being said, jesus, when he went through the temptation in the wilderness, it was in the wilderness. Now many people saw this is my beloved son right after the baptism. This is my beloved son and him I'm well pleased. Hear ye him. Immediately, the Spirit driveth him away to be tempted of the devil, and that happens, but who's there? It's him.
Speaker 1:A lot of this process that God is going to bring you through is going to be in private, and so, paul, cautions about everybody that wants to have these ministry titles. You expect some kind of prestige, you expect some accolades, even if it's just by fellow ministers. You want to hear the greetings in the street, rabbi, rabbi, as Jesus talked about in Matthew 23, one of my favorite passages of Scripture. But we don't want to wait. We want that as soon as possible. We want to get out there and get after it Instead of because I know this is me until the Lord started doing the wilderness process and it's been the greatest thing for me because what happens is there was gifting, but there was a lack of maturity and a lack of substance.
Speaker 1:So, if we come to you on the Wofo Yo podcast, or if it's me on the Wofo Yo short, or if you're just interacting with us in person, if you're talking to Bones or I just know we might not be as articulate as somebody who's been to seminary, but there is substance. I promise you there's going to be substance. And also, if we don't know about something, we're going to let you know I don't know, rather than blow some smoke up your rear end. So I would highly advise those of us, especially those of us that are called to serve. If the Lord tells you to be public about something you're going through, then by all means be transparent, but also use discretion, discretion and if you're going to lead, be willing to serve, but also make sure you have your stuff together. If there's an area where you don't have your stuff together, it might be an area you're called to lead in later on, but you might not be called to lead in that area until you get it together, no matter how anointed you might be. You might be called to lead in that area a little bit later, but you may be called to lead in there now, and that's the whole thing about it. If you're going to lead, you're going to have to lead. You're going to have to have the goods, because what we're called to do is train. We're called to disciple and if you don't have your stuff together in an area, you cannot lead somebody in that area, not effectively.
Speaker 1:Now, sometimes there are those that are meant to see the struggle that we go through, because they're getting ready to go through the same thing, totally different, but we don't broadcast everything we go through. A lot of times what happens is people are silently looking for approval when they do that, and that's the reason it just leaves such a bad ringing in my ears If I hear it going on or see it going on. Believe me, you go through stuff, but it should be, unless directed otherwise, between you and the Lord. And then, once you have that victory in that, then it's time to come out as the Lord leads and talk about the process so that people recognize it. But don't be a hot mess in front of everybody. Don't just do it for clicks, don't just do it for attention. Be obedient, get in the word for yourself and find out how men and women of the faith in ages past dealt with these things and then let the Holy Spirit lead you through God's process and then talk about it openly.
Speaker 1:Wofo, yo, hey, everybody, thanks for listening. We hope this challenges you and causes you to grow. You can always check us out at wofoyoorg or subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or Audible, or check us out on YouTube. For Bones and Myself, this is C-Dub, reminding you that if you're going to grow, you've got to Wofoyo. Get in the word for yourself.