Less Is More

The Gospel of Mark records this about Jesus in chapter 9, verse 30:
"Leaving that region, they traveled through Galilee. Jesus didn’t want anyone to know he was there, 31 for he wanted to spend more time with his disciples and teach them."

Leaders deal with crowds...we just do. Whether it's 20 third-graders in your classroom, 500 members of your congregation, 8 employees, or the 12 kids you eat with in the cafeteria, if you're a leader, people crowd around you. 

Crowds are powerful, crowds are even intimidating and demanding. Because they are, we play to them by default. We give them our attention, our energy, and our abilities because they demand it. Jesus was no different. When you read the book of Mark, one of the most important characters is 'the crowd'. The crowd is always there, whether invited or not, and who can blame them? They're being healed, and fed...they're witnessing miracles and hearing the teaching of a powerful Rabbi. This is the same reason folks crowd around you...you have something to offer. So it always seems like we should be doing for the masses.

But there is a problem with the crowd, in fact, there are two problems with the crowd:
First, the crowd can crush you (check out Mark 3:9).
Second, the crowd isn't your only, or even your most meaningful, assignment.
Now this doesn't mean that the crowd is your enemy, it means that the crowd in your life must be managed.

Here's why:
1. THE CROWD CAN CRUSH YOU
Mark 3:9 is pretty plain in the NLT...Jesus understood to make a plan that would keep him safe from the dangers of the crowd. He still loved them, He still ministered to them, but He requested a boat to retreat to. Why? The boat created a boundary that would keep Him safe from the danger of the crowd. As leaders, we have to create boundaries to keep us safe from the dangers of the crowd. They don't hate us, they don't want to hurt us, but crowds are very draining to a leader, and all leaders have physical, mental, and emotional limitations. The key is to build boundaries. Build them into your time management, into your space management, and your relationship management. Make 'off-limits' spaces in each of these areas. Sometimes less of the crowd is more healthy.

2. THE CROWD ISN'T YOUR ONLY ASSIGNMENT
Jesus was teacher, healer, and savior for the crowds...of that there is no doubt. He was also, however, teacher, mentor, and spiritual father to the discples. There are folks in your world with whom you have more influence. These are people who know how to steward the investments of time and energy you make into them. You must carve out time away from the crowd for these people. When the crowds have come and gone, these folks will still be present with you, and they will end up multiplying your influence on the world. These are also the people with whom you can trust deeper, more intense training. Don't shortchange your 'disciples' by focusing only on the crowd. Sometimes less 'crowd' equals more impact.