Leadership Teaching · Peter Reeves

WHAT IS MOST IMPORTANTfeels likeA WASTE

01 The Teaching

A woman came to Jesus with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, which she poured on his head as he was reclining at the table. When the disciples saw this, they were indignant. "What a waste!" they said. "It could have been sold for a high price and the money given to the poor." Aware of this, Jesus said to them, "Why are you bothering this woman? She has done a beautiful thing to me. The poor you will always have with you, but you will not always have me."

Matthew 26:7–11 · NLT

The disciples weren't wrong about the math — the perfume was worth a lot.
They were wrong about the moment.
Leaders constantly face this tension: the most important things rarely look efficient.

!
The disciples are the villain in this story. But before you distance yourself from them — you are the disciple. So am I. Every leader has a room where they're calculating cost instead of responding to the moment. The question isn't whether you do this. It's which room it's happening in right now.
01 · FOCUS
Being
Interrupted
→
That was a waste of my focus
The interruption often IS the work. The best leaders are present enough to be interruptible. Jesus' "detours" didn't derail his mission — they were his mission.
THIS WEEK →
Before dismissing an interruption, pause and ask: Is this the actual moment?
02 · ENERGY
Worship
→
That was a waste of my energy
Worship recalibrates your why. Leaders who skip it eventually lead from ego, fear, or exhaustion — not calling. You can't give what you haven't received.
THIS WEEK →
Block one hour for worship with no agenda — no prep, no output. Just receive.
03 · RESOURCES
Generosity
→
That was a waste of my resources
Generosity is a leadership multiplier. What you pour out over people — time, affirmation, opportunity — looks wasteful on a spreadsheet and looks like culture in 10 years.
THIS WEEK →
Pour into one person generously — time, a specific affirmation, or an opportunity you could keep for yourself.
04 · CONFIDENCE
Receiving
Correction
→
That was a waste of my confidence
Staying open to correction is security, not weakness. The woman was criticized publicly. She didn't shrink. Jesus defended her. Leaders who can't be corrected can't grow.
THIS WEEK →
Ask one trusted person: Where do you see a blind spot in my leadership? Then just listen.
Anchor Statement
The disciples optimized for efficiency. Jesus optimized for devotion. Leaders who can't tell the difference will always mistake sacrifice for stupidity.
02 Why We Avoid It
01
Fear of
Looking Weak
Leaders are watched. Being interrupted, corrected, or generous can feel like losing ground. So we protect our image by protecting our time — and call it wisdom.
02
Pressure to
Perform
When results are the measure of your worth, anything that doesn't produce output feels irresponsible. Worship, generosity, and presence don't show up on a dashboard.
03
Short-Term
Thinking
Devotion pays off in years. Efficiency pays off today. Leaders under pressure default to what's immediate — and slowly trade legacy for output without realizing it.
03 The Big Idea
LEADS WITH DEVOTION LEADS WITH EFFICIENCY YES the moment of devotion THE SCRAMBLE it feels wasteful here NO OR MAYBE sacrifice resisted THE SITUATION OPTIMIZE FOR EFFICIENCY OPTIMIZE FOR DEVOTION
Every act of sacrifice begins here — will you optimize for efficiency or devotion?
04 The Pattern
THE DISCIPLE MINDSET THE LEADER MINDSET "What a waste!" they optimized for The disciples saw the cost.They missed the moment. EFFICIENCY over devotion PRODUCTIVITY over presence LEADER team family community next generation Devotion doesn't stay with you.It multiplies through you. DEVOTION creates legacy SACRIFICE shapes culture
What looks wasteful to the disciples becomes a model that outlasts the moment.
05 The Efficiency Trap
THE LEADER OPTIMIZE FOR PRODUCTIVITY MISS THE MOMENT POSSIBLE "NO" ANSWERS every situation it feels wasteful REPEAT devotion avoided

The Efficiency Trap is the subtle, unconscious pattern where leaders optimize for what looks productive — and in doing so, consistently miss the moments that matter most. It is self-protection disguised as strategy. It stunts growth, impact, and legacy.

06 The Devotion Payoff
IMPACT NOW 1 YR 5 YRS 10 YRS LEGACY EFFICIENCY plateaus DEVOTION compounds the gap grows both paths look similar at first THE WOMAN IN MATTHEW 26 Defended by Jesus. Remembered forever.
Devotion and efficiency look similar in year one. The gap becomes undeniable by year ten.
07 The Commitment
This Week I Will
Every leader leaves this room with one concrete act of devotion they've been calling a waste. Name it. Write it. Do it.
THE SITUATION I'VE BEEN AVOIDING
THE SPECIFIC ACTION I WILL TAKE
WHO I WILL TELL TO KEEP ME ACCOUNTABLE
Reflection
What in your leadership right now feels like a waste — but might actually be exactly what's needed?
What Is Most Important Feels Like a Waste · Peter Reeves