The Three Legged Stool
‘The same God who made the mountains and the oceans designed your body to heal.
Every heartbeat, every cell renewing itself is proof of His wisdom.
Trust His design.’
Dr. Josh Axe MD
I used to think leadership meant being the first one in and the last one out. That if I wasn't checking emails at 11pm or available for calls on weekends, I wasn't really committed to the business.
The reality is we measure leadership by output, deals closed, targets hit, teams grown. But God's greatest concern isn't just what we produce, it's whether we're whole enough to run the race set out before us.
"May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do it." 1 Thessalonians 5:23–24
Spirit, soul, and body - a three-legged stool.
Five years ago, mine was wobbly and nearly collapsed. The professional leg had grown, board pressures, investor expectations, the relentless pace of scale, so that the others barely touched the ground. I was making decisions from a place of emptiness. My body was showing signs of strain. My spirit felt dry. I was wobbly, unbalanced, and God had to get my attention.
Wholeness isn't automatic. We have an active part to play:
Feeding our spirits through prayer and worship - before we open our laptops, not after we've given the day our dregs
Moving our bodies - not squeezing in a workout if there's time, but protecting it like we'd protect a critical meeting
Tending our minds with rest and rhythms that restore - because burnt-out leaders make poor decisions
Out of that season, new patterns sprouted. Mornings rooted in stretching, breathwork, prayer, worship, cold water, weights. These aren't luxuries or "nice to haves", they're the maintenance work that keeps all three legs strong enough to bear the weight of leadership.
Here's what surprised me: wholeness doesn't make us less effective - it makes us better stewards. More present to our teams. Clearer in decision-making. Able to lead from a place of fullness rather than frantic striving.
Thought for the week:
As you step into this week, which leg of your stool needs the most attention? What would it look like to take a walk and pray between meetings or step outside in nature, even for ten minutes? To fuel your body with good food, slowing down enough to actually taste it and share it with others rather than eating at your desk? To move your body daily, not as another box to tick, but as care for what God has entrusted to you? To protect rest as fiercely as you protect your calendar? What would wholeness look like for you in this season?
Prayer:
Lord, thank You for caring about every part of who I am, not just what I produce. Show me where I'm out of balance. Give me courage to steward my spirit, soul, and body as seriously as I steward the work that You've entrusted to me. Sanctify me through and through, for Your glory.
Amen
Sam Barbee (North West HUB Member)