Lead From the Inside Out: Why Your Inner Life Matters More Than Your Methods

Blog by Gem Fadling

In our PACE leadership and spiritual formation training, our friend and colleague Matt Fogle leads a beautiful session on congruence. We talk about this in many ways at Unhurried Living—our inner and outer lives must match. This is one of the heartbeats of healthy, authentic spiritual leadership.

This is the central flow of John 15 to which we often point. Jesus, the vine, invites us to remain or abide in him. From that central connection, fruit does emerge. But the emphasis for each of us is on the abiding, not the producing. Yes, fruit that lasts bursts forth, but only because the branch remains on the vine.

I carry this idea deep within me. If you only learned one thing from me, this would be at the top of the list. There is a flow from God to me, within me, and then through me.

How do I remain aware of and connected to this holy process?

 Spiritual formation is the process by which we are changed into the image of Christ. In my early years as a Christian, we called this discipleship. But whatever you call it, it involves the actual transformation of the person, not the mere adding of knowledge.

Many people are willing to settle for knowledge and to consider that “growth.” Sure, we must gain knowledge to learn. But this is only the beginning of the process. Without life experience, our knowledge cannot become wisdom—lived grace. Our real invitation is to change. This is such good news. I get to change! I don’t have to stay within my weaknesses, blind spots, and sins.

Philippians 1:6 rises to the surface: “He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” This is the God-initiated process in which I live, and I am so thankful for it.

In Matt’s talk on congruence, he shares one of the most meaningful quotes I have ever heard on the importance of our inner life in prayer. It’s from E. M. Bounds:

“The Church is looking for better methods; God is looking for better men [and women]. . . . What the Church needs today is not more machinery or better, not new organizations or more and novel methods, but men [and women] whom the Holy Spirit can use—[people] of prayer, [people] mighty in prayer. The Holy Spirit does not flow through methods, but through [people]. He does not come on machinery, but on [people]. He does not anoint plans, but [people]—[people] of prayer.” (“Power Through Prayer,” in The Complete Works of E. M. Bounds on Prayer, p. 447)

This excerpt highlights the importance not of methods and what Bounds calls “machinery,” but of real people who pray and cooperate with the flow of the Holy Spirit. This is the organic way God moves.

Even though I may be part of a structure (which at this point is the organization known as Unhurried Living), it is really Alan, me, and our team who are the heart of the structure. We are people, and what you experience from Unhurried Living comes from our lived experience with God. We are trying to share all the goodness and wisdom God has granted us over the course of our adult lives.

I’ve run into trouble whenever I’ve placed the structure of Unhurried Living at the center. This is when I become anxious, stressed, overly ambitious, and competitive. That is not how I desire to live my life. Yet when I remember that we are simply human beings trying to love and serve other human beings, my heart slows its pace, and I reconnect with my truest desire—loving and serving others with gladness and singleness of heart.

It can be tempting to attach to machinery (structures) and methods because those things seem easier to quantify and manage. But real formation in people’s lives is messy, indirect, and requires patience.

Paul beautifully describes all of us, connected to the Spirit, at our best:

 “The Spirit, not content to flit around on the surface, dives into the depths of God, and brings out what God planned all along. Who ever knows what you’re thinking and planning except you yourself? The same with God—except that he not only knows what he’s thinking, but he lets us in on it. God offers a full report on the gifts of life and salvation that he is giving us. We don’t have to rely on the world’s guesses and opinions. We didn’t learn this by reading books or going to school; we learned it from God, who taught us person-to-person through Jesus, and we’re passing it on to you in the same firsthand, personal way.” (1 Cor. 2:10-13 MSG)

The Spirit, from the depths, shares with us God’s heart. The three persons of the Trinity let us in on their life and gifts to us. We learn from the Trinity and then we pass it along. This is central to spiritual leadership. God teaches us directly through the life of Jesus. We follow him, become like him, and pass on the best of this connection in our interactions and influence.

For Reflection: 

• There is a flow from God to me, within me, and then through How do I remain aware of and connected to this holy process?
• Ponder the contrast Bounds sets up between machinery and methods and people of prayer. How are you inspired by this? How might it influence your focus?
• How does 1 Corinthians 2:10-13 encourage you today? How might you pass along what you’ve been given by God?