Why leaders need fresh encounters with God, not just a history of walking with Him.
“Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink.” - John 7:37
This summer, I visited the Brecon Beacons to walk the Four Falls Trail. One of the highlights was Sgwd yr Eira, a beautiful waterfall you can actually walk behind.
We loved it. But when we returned to the car park, the attendant showed us photos of the waterfall after heavy rainfall. It was completely transformed - no longer a gentle cascade, but a thundering wall of powerful water.
I thought I’d seen the waterfall, but I hadn’t seen what it was capable of.
It got me thinking about our relationship with God.
Our current experience of God isn’t a complete experience of God.
There is more of God for us to experience.
THE INVITATION TO EXPERIENCE MORE
In Ezekiel 47, the prophet sees a river flowing from the temple. The water grows deeper and deeper, bringing life wherever it flows. Even the lifeless waters of the Dead Sea are transformed. But Ezekiel isn’t just invited to observe the river, but to wade into it – to experience the living waters himself.
Centuries later, Jesus echoes this picture at the Feast of Tabernacles:
“Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.” (John 7:37–38)
Notice the invitation: Jesus doesn’t simply invite us to observe the river. He invites us to come and drink.
And this matters for leadership.
· We can spend so much time helping others encounter God that we neglect our own need to encounter Him.
· We can become skilled at leading worship, facilitating prayer, teaching the Bible and caring for people, while quietly running on yesterday’s experience.
· We can be faithfully serving God while gradually becoming less expectant of God.
· We can lead others towards the river while remaining on the riverbank ourselves.
Leadership requires more than competence, knowledge and good systems. These things matter, but they cannot replace a living, fresh, personal relationship with Jesus.
We cannot manufacture spiritual life through better leadership techniques. But we can cultivate a posture of dependence on God, make space for His Spirit and lead from the overflow of our relationship with Him.
Take a moment to reflect:
Am I leading from overflow or running on empty?
Where might familiarity, disappointment or self-reliance have reduced my expectancy?
What would it look like for me to get off the riverbank & step into a new experience with God today?
Let’s not settle for simply knowing how to lead others towards the river.
There’s an invitation to experience more of God – will you stay on the riverbank, or will you wade in?
Ps Amy Trubey