Jeremiah 23:1-2
1 "I will send disaster upon the leaders of my people the shepherds of my sheep for they have destroyed and scattered the very ones they were expected to care for," says the LORD. 2 This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says to these shepherds: "Instead of leading my flock to safety, you have deserted them and driven them to destruction. Now I will pour out judgment on you for the evil you have done to them. (NLT)
Wow, this puts being in church leadership in perspective. I am responsible to God how I lead. I will be judged for how I lead. I have to be in prayer to lead the way God want's me to lead. I cannot do it in and of myself. As a leader in the church I think it is good to be remineded that leading is rewarding. When you are leading as God wants you to lead, He will bless you, or at least reward you in heaven. If you lead apart from God you will be awarded with Godly discipline. This needs to be in my mind as I put together lessons. This needs to be on my mind when I am doing anything in leadership. Am I leading as God desires me to lead?
If you are seeking to lead God's people, think about this before you go down that path. A lot of people are in ministry for themselves. This is the cause for some of the problems we face as the body of Christ.
Our God is a good God. He is a mighty God. He is a loving God. He is also a God that seeks our obedience. As I lead I need to lead through obedience to Him.
One of the key leadership challenges for me is the idea that shepherds are responsible both for the safekeeping of the sheep, and also for their discipline. A shepherd will discipline a sheep by breaking its leg and making it more dependent on him.
ReplyDeleteI am not a very confrontational person and it is way beyond my comfort level to confront someone who is exhibiting an attitude or action which is not Christ-like. But confronting in love (and challenging and exhorting) is also an important part of leadership. We need to support one another as leaders so we can get better at being the kind of leaders God wants us to be.