Sunday at our Fort Smith campus of Community Bible Church, we announced that our Pastor of Worship and his family are beginning the process of transitioning to the mission field. At the end of the year, he will move out of his current role as Pastor of Worship and engage in full-time preparations of moving overseas.

For a decade he (I will intentionally leave his name out as he tries to reduce his digital footprint in preparation for the mission field) has served our church well. He has exhibited service, love, and a true heart for God. He has loved his family and church well.

While his current destination has not been finalized, the locations in which he is looking to go are radically different from his current context. This move will come at great cost. There is financial uncertainty. He and his wife will be half-way around the world from family, friends and home. His children will not see their grandparents with much frequency. He will move from the Bible Belt to a land where the gospel is foreign and Christians are often persecuted.

The decision comes at a great cost, but he has chosen to do what a leader does—to put the need before the cost.

The costs are easy to measure and could take hours to list, but the need greater.

The need to make Jesus known to all the nations outweighs any personal, temporary costs. The need to be obedient to God, to fulfill the great commission, and to play a role in God’s activity around the world, trumps any personal cost which might come to this family.

Our Pastor of Worship and his family are teaching us a great lesson about Christianity and a great lesson about leadership.

A leader is moved by the need, not the cost.

A follower can never look past the cost.

Which one has your attention?

If you are always focused on the cost, the demands, what might go wrong, what you don’t know, you are are not a leader.

If you are focused on the need and you know, whether you succeed or fail, you must do something, you are a leader.

Which will drive you today?