John Stanko

"Be shepherds of God’s flock that is under your care, watching over them—not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not pursuing dishonest gain, but eager to serve;" - 1 Peter 5:2.

This verse obviously addresses church leaders, but there are principles in it that apply to any godly leader, whether in the church or out. One of the principles in today's verse addresses how a leader relates to money and compensation. Any leader who does what he or she is hired to do solely for money is called a hireling in biblical terms, no matter how noble the work. Leadership should be compensated fairly and well for the expertise and experience they have, but they should be motivated first and foremost by a desire to serve others—the money should not be the top priority.

LEADERSHIP STEP: What would you do if you had all the money you needed to live on? If you answer that you would do what you are doing right now, then you are in the right place, and money is not your motivator. If you answer that you would do something else, then you must ask yourself if you are doing what you do now strictly for the money—and if that is the proper motivation. If that's the case, then meditate on whether or not it's time to do something else.