Have you ever heard of the old phrase, “If you want to soar with the eagles, you can’t run with the turkeys”?

That’s particularly true for pastors! If you’re going to lead your congregation well, you’ll need to surround yourself with wise counsel. 

You don’t need a lot of friends in life. You don’t need to be the most popular pastor in your community. You just need a few good friends who understand the unique needs of ministry leaders. You need people who can build you up, not tear you down—people who are wise, not fools. 

We always grow in community. As a pastor, you likely recognize this need for other people, but it’s also true of you. You could spend your whole ministry in your study, preparing for your next sermon and praying for guidance. You would grow in knowledge, but not wisdom. You cannot grow in wisdom by yourself.

Why? Because wisdom is all about love. Wisdom shows up primarily in relationships. That’s why some people have educational degrees, but their marriages are falling apart. They’re educated, but they’re not wise.

The Bible says in Proverbs 13:20, “Spend time with the wise and you will become wise, but the friends of fools will suffer” (NCV).

It’s always easier for somebody to pull you down than to pull you up. People who pull you down are not your friends. Friends pull you up. Friends encourage you in your pursuit of godly wisdom by offering their own.

As a pastor, people clamor for your wisdom all the time. But you can’t give it if you’re not continually letting other experienced leaders feed into you. 

Is anybody in your life pouring wisdom into you? You need that kind of encouragement if you want to be a wise leader.