Three Truths About Leaders

Three Truths About (and for)  Leaders

Many countries believe they need a "Big Daddy" to lead them.  Not America and a fraction of Western Nations. Americans hold a strong prejudice against leaders.
Due to this wariness of all leadership, we ofter reject
things our leaders say and do and believe it is our duty to tell leaders what way and how they must lead us.

The same devilish cultural dynamic has infected even the Bible believing Christians. It has become the standard practice in most churches.

The following Three Truths About Leaders  speaks to Christians in America and the countries with a cultural anti-leader dynamic:

1.  "Once you chose to lead, you'll be under huge pressure to reconsider your choice, to compromise, to dumb it down, or to give up. 

Of course you will. That's the world's job: to get you to be quiet and follow. The status quo is the status quo for a reason." Seth Godin

2. You will be requested to come "lead the church," but that means come be our employee. 

It means lead us in maintaining the status quo - We are the Boss. When you cross the status quo, it doesn't matter that they were  enthusiastic about what you can and wish to do. When you seek to lead, the die hard powers that be will dig in and, if they can, boot you out the door.  They want a leader that looks good and that the community around them loves - but not one to follow. Employees (that's you) follow the Boss. Employers don't follow anyone.

3. Christians - all of us have a commission to lead.  To lead the world to the True King.  To lead the world to wisdom and moral living.  To lead the way to heaven.

We are not called to lead those to whom the Holy Spirit has given leadership gifts. We are to affirm those gifts and accept their exercise in our midst. Neither is a person with leadership gifts to exercise dictatorship or "lording over." Christ, not us, is the head of the church and the one who employs each one of us as he sees fit.  --  The die hards in the church must either take the leadership on themselves (not call someone to do that for them) or follow God's ordained leadership.  If they will not follow they owe it to Christ to get out of the way. When they don't it is they, not the called leader, who kill the church and pour buckets of ice on the fire of the Holy Spirit.

God did not promise his leaders ease and certainly not luxury. Pain and martyrdom march hand in hand with joy and the wonder of seeing our God at work to will and to do that which is his good pleasure. You must let neither the pain nor the glory draw you away from following Christ the Leader of his own gifted leaders. That too will kill the church and quench the Holy Spirit fires. 

Remember those called to lead will be judged by God with a double judgment. Christian leaders have an awesome responsibility - even those whose only leadership may be to lead others to their True King.
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PHOTO: Putting out the Fire by DarlingSnail @ Flickr.com