The Myth of Indispensability

"As Peter entered the house, Cornelius met him and fell at his feet in reverence. But Peter made him get up. 'Stand up,' he said, 'I am only a man myself.'"
Acts 10:25-26

Recently, I've been thinking about how tempting it is for Christian leaders to believe they're indispensable. One guy born here told me just this summer, "If I'm away from my church even a week, things are not the same when I get back." Is that really true? Isn't our God big enough to work through this church, even if the leader is away for a bit?

It seems that all of us in Christian leadership need to periodically take a step back and evaluate our own walk with God(and related priorities). Am I spending enough quality time with Jesus? Do I allow "urgent matters" to supercede my own spiritual growth? Do I honestly believe that God's work revolves around me? Am I willing to train others for leadership, even if it requires great sacrifice on my part? The need to ponder such matters (and implement what God subsequently shows us) cannot be overemphasized.