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# When Leaders Resist Their Calling
- URL: https://www.journeyinfaithfulness.com/blog/when-leaders-resist-their-calling/
- Published: 2026-09-21T17:44:54.000Z
- Updated: 2026-09-21T17:44:53.000Z
- Author: Cord Urton
- Tags: Faithful Leadership

One of the more uncomfortable leadership lessons comes from the story of Jonah. Unlike many leaders in Scripture, Jonah's challenge wasn't uncertainty, it was resistance. When God called Jonah to go to Nineveh, Jonah knew exactly what he was being asked to do, and rather than move toward the assignment, he moved in the opposite direction.

One verse that stands out to me comes from the beginning of Jonah's story:

*"* **But Jonah got up and went in the opposite direction to get away from the Lord.* He went down to the port of Joppa, where he found a ship leaving for Tarshish. He bought a ticket and went on board, hoping to escape from the Lord by sailing to Tarshish." (Jonah 1:3 NLT)*

What strikes me about Jonah's story is that his struggle wasn't about capability, it was about willingness. As leaders, we like to think the greatest obstacle is not knowing what to do. In my experience, that's not always the case, sometimes we know exactly what needs to happen.

• The difficult conversation we've been avoiding.  
• The decision we've delayed.  
• The change we've resisted.  
• The responsibility we've been reluctant to accept.  
• The opportunity that's outside our comfort zone.

The challenge isn't clarity; the challenge is courage. What I have learned is that leadership often requires us to move toward the very thing we'd rather avoid. Growth rarely happens in our comfort zone and neither does transformation. Eventually, every leader encounters a moment where the path forward is clear, but taking that step requires more courage than we would like.

**Sometimes the greatest leadership challenge is not discovering your calling. It's stopping your resistance to it.**

Have you ever found yourself resisting a leadership challenge you knew you needed to face?

#Leadership #Courage #Transformation #ExecutiveLeadership #FaithAndLeadership