---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Leaders, your God-given job is not merely…"
description: "\"Leaders, your God-given job is not merely to preside over something, not to pontificate to your underlings how smart you are, not merely to preserve so..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/be5/bill-hybels-2766_demise_leaders-your-god-given-job-is-not-merely_1357980.jpg"
---

#  Leaders, your God-given job is not merely to preside over…

![“Leaders, your God-given job is not merely to preside over something, not to pontificate to your underlings how smart you are, not merely to preserve something from its gradual demise; it's to figure out what God wants to get done in this world, figure out what role you play in that, and then to…” quote by Bill Hybels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/be5/bill-hybels-2766_demise_leaders-your-god-given-job-is-not-merely_1357980.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/be5/bill-hybels-2766_demise_leaders-your-god-given-job-is-not-merely_1357980.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/be5/bill-hybels-2766_demise_leaders-your-god-given-job-is-not-merely_1357980.jpg)

> “Leaders, your God-given job is not merely to preside over something, not to pontificate to your underlings how smart you are, not merely to preserve something from its gradual demise; it's to figure out what God wants to get done in this world, figure out what role you play in that, and then to move something or someone from here to there.”

[Bill Hybels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-hybels/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Leaders must discover divine purpose and actively move people toward it, not just hold authority or boast.

**In simple terms:** Leaders should find God’s purpose and act on it.

Key Takeaway

Seek purpose, act decisively.

Themes

leadership purpose action faith service

Mood

inspirational determined

Type

motivational spiritual

When to use this quote

- church leadership
- nonprofit management
- community projects
- personal vocation

Key Concepts

Divine calling mission strategic influence

Questions to Reflect On

- What purpose do you feel called to fulfill?
- How can you move from authority to service?

A Different Perspective

Leaders may misinterpret purpose, leading to misguided actions.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Demise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/demise/) [Done](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/done/) [Figures](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/figures/) [Given](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/given/) [Given Job](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/given-job-783019/) [God given](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/god-given/) [God Wants](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/god-wants/) [Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/jobs/) [Leader](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/leader/) [Leaders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/leaders/) [Leaders God](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/leaders-god-325258/) [Leadership](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/leadership/) [Moving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moving/) [Play](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/play/) [Preserves](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/preserves/) [Roles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/roles/) [Smart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/smart/) [This world](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/this-world/) [Want](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/want/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/)

## Related quotes

> [We can't all be stars; we can't all be leaders. We are all God's creatures, living life, and we have that God light in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dolly-parton/we-can-t-all-be-stars-we-can-t-all-be-leaders-we-are-all-god-s/)

[Dolly Parton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dolly-parton/)

> [Paul, Luther, Wesley —what would these chosen ones of God be without the distinguishing and controlling element of prayer? They were leaders for God…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-mckendree-bounds/paul-luther-wesley-what-would-these-chosen-ones-of-god-be-without-the/)

[Edward McKendree Bounds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-mckendree-bounds/)

> [“Leaders of God’s people uniquely contribute to the cultivation of a culture distinct and different from the dominant culture. For it is the role…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-r-woodward/leaders-of-god-s-people-uniquely-contribute-to-the-cultivation-of-a/)

[J.R. Woodward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-r-woodward/)

> [If you are given a job you have to do it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/owen-hargreaves/if-you-are-given-a-job-you-have-to-do-it/)

[Owen Hargreaves](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/owen-hargreaves/)

> [Even if there's controversy, I'm going to make the decision, and people are going to be happy in one instance and unhappy in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gina-mccarthy/even-if-there-s-controversy-i-m-going-to-make-the-decision-and-people/)

[Gina McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gina-mccarthy/)

> [One of the first pieces of advice I was ever given, on my first job was, 'You should always buy something to treat yourself…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-claflin/one-of-the-first-pieces-of-advice-i-was-ever-given-on-my-first-job-2/)

[Sam Claflin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-claflin/)

> [“He had been given the job and he was going to do it. But now for the first time he hated it genuinely. Perhaps…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-mailer/he-had-been-given-the-job-and-he-was-going-to-do-it-but-now-for-the/)

[Norman Mailer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-mailer/)

> [The problem when someone feels burned out, bored, unchallenged, or stifled by their work is not the job itself but rather the environment and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-hsieh/the-problem-when-someone-feels-burned-out-bored-unchallenged-or/)

[Tony Hsieh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-hsieh/)

> [One of the first pieces of advice I was ever given, on my first job was, you should always buy something to treat yourself…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-claflin/one-of-the-first-pieces-of-advice-i-was-ever-given-on-my-first-job/)

[Sam Claflin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-claflin/)

> [If the past is an indication, when women are given a job to do in Congress, they get it done.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-klobuchar/if-the-past-is-an-indication-when-women-are-given-a-job-to-do-in/)

[Amy Klobuchar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-klobuchar/)

> [I think my lesson is to back yourself once you've been given a job. Far too often, I've been given a job and then…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamie-dornan/i-think-my-lesson-is-to-back-yourself-once-you-ve-been-given-a-job/)

[Jamie Dornan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamie-dornan/)

> [It helps certain church leaders identify the fact that they have the spiritual gift of leadership that the Bible talks about in Romans 12:8.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-hybels/it-helps-certain-church-leaders-identify-the-fact-that-they-have-the/)

[Bill Hybels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-hybels/)

> [“Was it better to see the source of one’s demise approaching or to be surprised?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-greenwood-brown/was-it-better-to-see-the-source-of-one-s-demise-approaching-or-to-be/)

[Anne Greenwood Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-greenwood-brown/)

> [“The whole organization seemed to be in free fall, indulging in a collective fantasy in which experienced colleagues refused to admit that their every…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-whole-organization-seemed-to-be-in-free-fall-indulging-in-a/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [To the newcomer to the south, hearing that a coworker plans a weekend visit to 'mama and them's' (the correct plural possessive, don'tchaknow), might…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/celia-rivenbark/to-the-newcomer-to-the-south-hearing-that-a-coworker-plans-a-weekend/)

[Celia Rivenbark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/celia-rivenbark/)

## More by Bill Hybels

> [Those churches have closed down or have been merged with a church that has a more positive vision.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-hybels/those-churches-have-closed-down-or-have-been-merged-with-a-church/)

[Bill Hybels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-hybels/)

> [Humility enables us to learn from each other.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-hybels/humility-enables-us-to-learn-from-each-other/)

[Bill Hybels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-hybels/)

> [It’s amazing how many coincidences occur when one begins to pray.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-hybels/it-s-amazing-how-many-coincidences-occur-when-one-begins-to-pray/)

[Bill Hybels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-hybels/)

> [You can live and lead small, live and lead safe, live and lead selfishly, or you can pursue a grander vision.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-hybels/you-can-live-and-lead-small-live-and-lead-safe-live-and-lead/)

[Bill Hybels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-hybels/)

> [Simplified living is about more than doing less. It’s being who God called us to be, with a wholehearted, single-minded focus.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-hybels/simplified-living-is-about-more-than-doing-less-it-s-being-who-god/)

[Bill Hybels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-hybels/)

> [Self awareness allows you to self-correct.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-hybels/self-awareness-allows-you-to-self-correct/)

[Bill Hybels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-hybels/)

> [The mark of community is not the absence of conflict. It's the presence of a reconciling spirit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-hybels/the-mark-of-community-is-not-the-absence-of-conflict-it-s-the/)

[Bill Hybels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-hybels/)

> [Jesus is not directing the angelic choir, taking long naps, or doing crossword puzzles. He is completely focused on building his church, the hope…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-hybels/jesus-is-not-directing-the-angelic-choir-taking-long-naps-or-doing/)

[Bill Hybels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-hybels/)

> [Effective leaders do not fear passion. They welcome it. But from time to time passionate discussions digress into personal attacks, and real people get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-hybels/effective-leaders-do-not-fear-passion-they-welcome-it-but-from-time/)

[Bill Hybels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-hybels/)

> [Religion is spelled 'D-O', because it consists of the things people do try to somehow gain God's forgiveness and favor. But the problem is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-hybels/religion-is-spelled-d-o-because-it-consists-of-the-things-people-do/)

[Bill Hybels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-hybels/)

> [If I've learned anything about prayer, it's that desperation drives discipline.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-hybels/if-i-ve-learned-anything-about-prayer-it-s-that-desperation-drives/)

[Bill Hybels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-hybels/)

> [The Church will never reach her full redemptive potential until men and women with the leadership gift step up and lead.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-hybels/the-church-will-never-reach-her-full-redemptive-potential-until-men/)

[Bill Hybels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-hybels/)

> [People will not follow a leader with moral incongruities for long. Every time you compromise character you compromise leadership. The foundation of firm leadership…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-hybels/people-will-not-follow-a-leader-with-moral-incongruities-for-long/)

[Bill Hybels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-hybels/)

> [I look at tens of thousands of church leaders who still do need a bit of an awakening.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-hybels/i-look-at-tens-of-thousands-of-church-leaders-who-still-do-need-a-bit/)

[Bill Hybels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-hybels/)

> [You can never underestimate the amount of energy and frequency you must give to vision casting. You can never underestimate it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-hybels/you-can-never-underestimate-the-amount-of-energy-and-frequency-you/)

[Bill Hybels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-hybels/)

[Explore all 151 Bill Hybels quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-hybels/)

## More Demise quotes

> [To the newcomer to the south, hearing that a coworker plans a weekend visit to 'mama and them's' (the correct plural possessive, don'tchaknow), might…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/celia-rivenbark/to-the-newcomer-to-the-south-hearing-that-a-coworker-plans-a-weekend/)

[Celia Rivenbark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/celia-rivenbark/)

> [“The whole organization seemed to be in free fall, indulging in a collective fantasy in which experienced colleagues refused to admit that their every…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-whole-organization-seemed-to-be-in-free-fall-indulging-in-a/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [“Was it better to see the source of one’s demise approaching or to be surprised?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-greenwood-brown/was-it-better-to-see-the-source-of-one-s-demise-approaching-or-to-be/)

[Anne Greenwood Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-greenwood-brown/)

> [And there are lots of drug companies that are working on cure or medicine.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mort-kondracke/and-there-are-lots-of-drug-companies-that-are-working-on-cure-or/)

[Mort Kondracke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mort-kondracke/)

> [However, while we should certainly celebrate the demise of overt official racism, we must also critically examine where we are at this historical moment,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ed-markey/however-while-we-should-certainly-celebrate-the-demise-of-overt/)

[Ed Markey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ed-markey/)

> [Like the panic stricken populace of 'The War of the Worlds' and countless other 1950s invasion movies, the victims are there to provide the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-tudor/like-the-panic-stricken-populace-of-the-war-of-the-worlds-and/)

[Andrew Tudor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-tudor/)

> [Tim Conway was a little different from the rest. He was always in the back of the studio building something with the prop man,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vicki-lawrence/tim-conway-was-a-little-different-from-the-rest-he-was-always-in-the/)

[Vicki Lawrence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vicki-lawrence/)

> [Part of the oncoming demise (of New York during its terrible fiscal crisis) is that none of us can simply believe it. We were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-mailer/part-of-the-oncoming-demise-of-new-york-during-its-terrible-fiscal/)

[Norman Mailer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-mailer/)

> [Long before folks fretted the demise of 'quantitative easing,' I fretted its existence. It proved the reverse of its image, an antistimulus, and we've…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-fisher/long-before-folks-fretted-the-demise-of-quantitative-easing-i-fretted/)

[Kenneth Fisher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-fisher/)

> [The freedom-lovers of the world mourn the sad demise of Imam Khomeini.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruhollah-khomeini/the-freedom-lovers-of-the-world-mourn-the-sad-demise-of-imam-khomeini/)

[Ruhollah Khomeini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruhollah-khomeini/)

> [“Cruelty shouldn't be met with more cruelty; the cycle of violence must end. Yet, survival often demands a fight, and sometimes there's no clear…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-omrai/cruelty-shouldn-t-be-met-with-more-cruelty-the-cycle-of-violence-must/)

[David Omrai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-omrai/)

> [The one thing in the world of value is the active soul. And I think that soul doesn't necessarily die after we're dead and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathy-eldon/the-one-thing-in-the-world-of-value-is-the-active-soul-and-i-think/)

[Kathy Eldon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathy-eldon/)

> [We all seem to stumble, planning our own demise, Getting the big picture, and making it wallet-sized.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kendrick-lamar/we-all-seem-to-stumble-planning-our-own-demise-getting-the-big/)

[Kendrick Lamar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kendrick-lamar/)

> [The demise of the Soviet Union was the greatest geopolitical catastrophe of the century.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vladimir-putin/the-demise-of-the-soviet-union-was-the-greatest-geopolitical/)

[Vladimir Putin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vladimir-putin/)

> [For years everyone looked toward the demise of radio when television came along. Before that, they thought talking movies might eliminate radio as well.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/casey-kasem/for-years-everyone-looked-toward-the-demise-of-radio-when-television/)

[Casey Kasem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/casey-kasem/)

[Browse all 188 Demise quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/demise/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "Leaders, your God-given job is not merely to preside over something, not to pontificate to your underlings how smart you are, not merely to preserve something from its gradual demise; it's to figure out what God wants to get done in this world, figure out what role you play in that, and then to move something or someone from here to there.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Bill Hybels"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-hybels/leaders-your-god-given-job-is-not-merely-to-preside-over-something/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Demise"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-hybels/leaders-your-god-given-job-is-not-merely-to-preside-over-something/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/be5/bill-hybels-2766_demise_leaders-your-god-given-job-is-not-merely_1357980.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/be5/bill-hybels-2766_demise_leaders-your-god-given-job-is-not-merely_1357980.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/be5/bill-hybels-2766_demise_leaders-your-god-given-job-is-not-merely_1357980.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Leaders, your God-given job is not merely to preside over something, not to pontificate to your underlings…” — Bill Hybels",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Bill Hybels",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-hybels/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "Leaders, your God-given job is not...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-hybels/leaders-your-god-given-job-is-not-merely-to-preside-over-something/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-hybels/leaders-your-god-given-job-is-not-merely-to-preside-over-something/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
