Scripture: “I give you a new commandment: love one another. As I have loved you, so you also should love one another. This is how all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” – John 13:34–35
There was a time, not long ago, when I believed I’d be defined by my titles, my strategies, and the results I delivered. I chased goals, built plans, and took pride in leading well. In many ways, I still do. Leadership matters. Excellence matters. Direction matters.
But in December 2023, my car accident shifted something deeper in me. When your body breaks but your heart keeps beating — you begin to ask different questions.
What really lasts? What truly matters? What do I want to be known for when the titles fall away?
Jesus’ words in John 13 speak right into that space: “Love one another. As I have loved you, so you also should love one another.” Not just as a sentiment but as an identity. He says this is how we’ll be recognized: not by our position, productivity, or plans but by our love.
Here’s what I’m learning: Love doesn’t cancel out leadership. It refines it.
Love doesn’t ignore results. It gives them purpose.
Love doesn’t replace goals. It reminds us why we have them in the first place.
Now, in this season as a husband, a new dad, and a leader helping steward the future of a place that exists to spark wonder in children, i’m trying to lead with a different kind of intention. The kind that shows up in how I treat people, how I listen, how I make space for others to grow and shine. That’s what I want my daughter to see and that’s, what I hope others feel.
Because at the end of the day, I don’t just want to be known for what I did, I want to be known for how I loved.