As a freshman in college, I explored a number of ministries in my home church — everything from kids ministry to youth and young adult ministries — before unexpectedly finding my place in an area of the church where I interacted more with older adults. The leader of that ministry took me under his wing and introduced me to my first real leadership roles. Overnight, I was on a ministry team that, on average, was several decades older than me. At first, it was really intimidating. However, those years shaped me as a young person and taught me valuable lessons about leadership as I grew into my calling.

Since then, I have had the chance to serve on several leadership teams in various capacities, ranging from the local church to higher education and, now, the Church Multiplication Network. Through these experiences, I’ve internalized five things that I believe every young person in leadership should know.

1. Recognize that God can work through you, regardless of your age. God has always used all kinds of people — young and old — to lead. Young leaders often have a growing list of reasons why they cannot be effective. They may assume that meaningful leadership will only be possible after more birthdays, more education, more money — or more success at finding a spouse.

That was me. However, throughout the Bible, God consistently called young people to influential roles of leadership. Spiritual leaders like Joseph, David, Esther, Jeremiah and Timothy were all young and inexperienced when God called them (Genesis 37:2; 1 Samuel 16:12–13; Esther 2:7–11; Jeremiah 1:6–8; 1 Timothy 4:12). God reveals His character and purpose through each of their stories, reminding us that our age doesn’t limit His power. Evidently, God delights in using young people to accomplish His will. When young leaders rise to the occasion, it glorifies God as His grace and providence emerge from unexpected sources.

2. Accept that leading looks like kneeling to wash feet before standing on a platform. The Gospels tell us that several of the disciples were related and grew up together in small villages (Matthew 10:2; John 1:44). As such, they argued like siblings and soon decided that their fellow disciples posed a threat to the greatness they felt should be theirs (Mark 9:34; Luke 22:24).

Rarely have I met a young leader who has not at least privately experienced similar feelings. Instead of telling His young disciples to abandon the dream of becoming great for God, Jesus framed it properly when He stooped to wash their feet (John 13:1–17).

The metric of success for a young leader is not a single moment of greatness; rather, it’s thousands of indistinct moments of simple obedience.

The most profound moments with Jesus in my life haven’t been on a platform. They came in anonymous service to others, doing seemingly menial tasks. Every vacuumed floor, stacked chair and plunged toilet to prepare for services profoundly shaped me. It was in those obscure places of service that I learned that being great for Jesus often looks like helping others become great for Jesus. As young leaders, we have to be secure enough in our callings to champion others toward Jesus.

3. Surround yourself with people who know the terrain of a lifetime of leadership. No matter how naturally gifted you may be, everyone needs the help of good mentors. Having people in your life who experientially understand the calling of God and the demands of leadership is critical to avoiding unnecessary pain. Two of my favorite books in the Bible are 1 and 2 Timothy. These books are essentially words of mentoring from Paul to the young pastor, Timothy, in whom the apostle spent years investing.

Good coaches position you for accountability, growth and ministerial longevity. They also provide the opportunity for you to learn from their mistakes without making them yourself. Furthermore, healthy mentoring should always have good on-ramps and off-ramps. A good mentor will recognize when it is time to send you out. When done well, a mentoring relationship should eventually mature into a lasting friendship (Philippians 2:19–22; 1 Thessalonians 3:2).

4. Embrace the fact that you won’t always get it right. I vividly recall the mistakes I have made in ministry. Some were laughable, but others caused significant pain. If you take time to read through the biblical stories of the young leaders I mentioned earlier, you will quickly find that they made big mistakes. A fear of failing or looking foolish can paralyze young leaders, but one of the most freeing things for me was a leader who gave me permission to fail when swinging for the fences on a new initiative.

There was only one perfect young leader (Luke 3:23). For the rest of us, we need to learn to trust God’s grace when our humanity emerges in our leadership. Thankfully, the Bible is candid enough to show us the weaknesses and mistakes of young leaders and how God used them in spite of themselves. Within the pain of failure comes God’s gentle reminder that it was never our perceived talent or spiritual faculties that made us valuable to Him.

5. Prioritize fidelity to the One who called you. God has done everything possible for us to succeed in serving Him (Romans 8:31–32, 1 John 4:4). Yet we must choose to depend on Him rather than going our own way. Recent media coverage has highlighted massive failures by church leadership — each one a sober reminder that no level of leadership provides immunity to sin. The most important dynamic of leading young is staying faithful to the One who called you.

The more I grow in my relationship with Jesus, the more I’m reminded that it is all about the basics. It comes down to discipline, consistency and commitment in the things that matter. Although some would think it cliché, wading into God’s Word, talking to Jesus through prayer, and recalibrating my heart through worship are still my top priorities as a leader. From that place, God shows me how to live out my calling. The metric of success for a young leader is not a single moment of greatness; rather, it’s thousands of indistinct moments of simple obedience.

Ultimately, young leaders must manage the subtle tension between a Spirit-led confidence that validates our callings and a childlike dependence that ensures its longevity. Leading young takes a lot of work and grace to be effective, but it is more than possible and has historically yielded tremendous dividends for the Kingdom.