“Then Moses said to Him, ‘If Your Presence does not go with us, do not send us up from here.’” —Exodus 33:15 (NIV)

Moses, Moses, Moses! My main man Moses was one of the greatest leaders of all time. He had struggles as well as triumphs. He had the responsibility of leading nearly three million of God’s chosen people from bondage and slavery and into a Promised Land. But what was supposed to be a three-day journey turned into forty years of wandering in no-man’s-land! I couldn’t imagine the thoughts that were going through Moses’ mind at this point. He spent the first forty years of his life under Pharaoh’s thumb, the next forty years in the desert, and here he was about to spend the next forty years in the wilderness. Moses had a lot of ups and downs throughout his time as a leader—he experienced insecurity issues at the burning bush and trust issues when he stood before Pharaoh, not to mention he had to lead people who truly didn’t want to follow him.

Leadership is influence. Whenever you are able to influence the thoughts, behaviors, or actions of others, you are a leader.

Moses came to place in his leadership that catapulted his influence. The remedy to Moses’ frustration as a leader was trusting in the presence of God.

“If Your Presence does not go with us, do not send us up from here.” —Exodus 33:15 (NIV)

As leaders, we must stop relying on our natural ability and lean into God’s supernatural ability. Jesus promised us that the Holy Spirit would lead and guide us into all truth. We must rely on the guiding hand of the One who knows it all, who God made to dwell within us.

“Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you?” —1 Corinthians 3:16 (ESV)

God knows how hard it is to get your teammates to follow. He knows how hard it is to lead under the voice of a tough coach. But He’s given you His Holy Spirit to help you in every area of your life. Once Moses experienced the presence of God, he was forever changed. He desperately wanted to spend more time with God than leading the children of Israel and that’s why he was such a great leader: He learned how to lead in God’s presence.

Learn how to lead by being in God’s presence.

—LaMorris Crawford, Chaplain of the Cincinnati Bengals

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