Leadership that dominates is simply not godly leadership, nor GOD-delegated. Peter gave his leadership principles when he said to lead by example, not as overlords. Jesus demonstrated true godly leadership characteristics in His examples of servitude.
If you've been entrusted by GOD with the responsibility to lead a group of people, check your motives. Is your goal to bring those in your charge closer to GOD, or closer to your way of thinking? Do you inadvertently or otherwise dominate them? Do you ever find yourself manipulating individuals or situations to fit your own personal goals or plans? Do you resort to intimidation when your pulpiteering doesn't quite sway the congregation to the path you've chosen? Domination, manipulation, intimidation… all three are key components of witchcraft. If you are truly a GOD-delegated leader, there's never any reason to engage in any of these practices, as your example of godliness will go further and have much greater impact in the lives of others.
Godly leaders aren't seeking a hierarchal ministry that elevates them to a revered position, but rather a biblical ministry of servitude; leading from beneath. Jesus—the Almighty GOD made flesh—became the very least among His disciples by washing their feet, providing both them and us with the greatest example of who a true godly leader is: a servant.
Free those in your charge from the confines of subservience to you, your ideas and your credenda. Release them to live free and unencumbered with your philosophies about GOD, and introduce them to GOD Himself, Jesus Messiah. Your stress level will sharply decrease and you'll rediscover the godly joy of serving others.
Showing posts with label leadership. Show all posts
Showing posts with label leadership. Show all posts
Friday, November 5, 2010
Sunday, March 21, 2010
Followership
I've discussed the obsession with leadership in other posts, but today I want to delve into another subject: followership. Followership is defined as the state or position of being a follower. To put this into practical understanding, the true measure of a leader is in his/her ability to encourage true followership. This begs the next question: who or what are you following? When it all shakes out, GOD won't judge you on who you know or how well you parroted what they've said, you will be judged on who you are and how well you followed what He says.
Now, because I know where many reader's minds will automatically go, followership is not blind obedience to your leader. In fact, followership—in the context of our discussion—goes right past our human leaders to the Source of all Authority: GOD. Because far too many individuals have only cursory interaction and understanding of the Text it becomes all too easy to simply obey everything their selected leader says without ever filtering the instruction through the Word of GOD. The narcissistic leader then misuses the Text, obedience is better than sacrifice [1 Samuel 15:22], thus creating followers of himself rather than followers of GOD. The only obedience that is better than sacrifice is obedience to GOD and His Word. In the context of 1 Samuel 15, Saul was not being reprimanded for disobeying GOD's prophet, he had disobeyed GOD's commandment concerning pre-war sacrifices. Sure Samuel was the mouthpiece of GOD, but Samuel wasn't flavoring or adding to GOD's words, he was simply repeating what GOD had given him to say. If the leader isn't saying what GOD says obedience is not required.
Do a quick study of the job of the watchman that GOD placed on the wall. You'll find that the watchman was only to say what GOD had specifically told him to say. He was not to add to it nor take away from it, simply repeat it.
I listened to a sermon recently in which the minister made abundantly clear the notion that his words from the pulpit were just as vital, and necessary, and GOD-breathed as those of the Old Testament prophets or the New Testament writers. To paraphrase another point of his sermonizing, if the members of his congregation didn't obey his instructions explicitly, they were disobeying GOD. The major problem with all of this is the fact that almost everything that he was preaching wasn't based in the Text, it was all his opinions (or more accurately, the opinions of the individuals he himself had chosen to follow; and thus the degrees of separation increase exponentially). I know this an extreme example of misusing the pulpit for personal credenda, but this is becoming more the norm than the minority.
How often is the goal of my lesson or sermon to create followers of me rather than followers of GOD?
Be honest, it feels good to challenge people's thinking or to drop that nugget in their lap. It's easy to become addicted to the accolades. But is this truly what GOD called His mouthpieces to be: credit seekers or demagogues? Our purpose as ministers of His Good News is to point the way to Him, not to our opinions about Him. If—as a minister in a pulpit—you've ever saddled the congregation with your personal convictions or opinions about the Text you're guilty of trying to replace GOD in the hearer's lives. If we were honest, we've all done this in some way or another, but now that we see the error of our ways, we must avoid it at all costs.
Someone said recently of a local congregation that is experiencing attrition, "For months they [the ministry] encouraged the congregation to read and study the Bible every day. Then, when the congregation had dropped by more than a third, they never said that again." Is there a connection to this congregation's attrition and their studying the Text? Why would studying the Text encourage attrition? What did those who relocated to another congregation see in the Text that was contrary to what was being taught and/or preached? When Peter gave the instruction that ministers should feed the flock [1 Peter 5:1-3], he wasn't empowering us to choose the feed; we have to feed the congregation what has been left by the Good Shepherd. It's interesting to note that in verse three of this Text, Peter instructs that this shepherding (or feeding) is not be administered through domineering over those in your charge but by example.
To foster true followership of GOD we have to stop trying to dominate the congregation and begin leading by example. Paul told the Community at Corinth that they should imitate him in the same manner in which he imitated Christ, or simply because he imitated Christ [1 Corinthians 11:1]. Something to point out here is the fact that when a New Testament writer referred to Jesus as Christ, they were emphasizing His Messiahship. Messiah can be interpreted as the Salvation of YHWH. Another way of looking at Paul's instruction is like this: imitate me as you see me imitating Salvation; when I stop imitating Salvation, stop imitating me. But, for this admonition to become something more than just skilled rhetoric, there is a major responsibility placed on the shoulders of the congregation. All of us have a responsibility to not only read the Bible, but to also study the Text, to become intimate with GOD's thoughts and Character. If we don't, we'll never know when we're being led astray.
Mark Batterson made this statement: my job as a preacher is not to interpret the Text for you, my job is to teach you to properly interpret the Text yourself. What a declaration! This is a minister who has discovered his responsibility as GOD's mouthpiece.
How often is my life as a minister not imitating Salvation?
How often are my words not Salvation's words?
How often do I keep the responsibility and joy of understanding the Text from the people I'm serving?
Perhaps we should adopt this credo:
Now, because I know where many reader's minds will automatically go, followership is not blind obedience to your leader. In fact, followership—in the context of our discussion—goes right past our human leaders to the Source of all Authority: GOD. Because far too many individuals have only cursory interaction and understanding of the Text it becomes all too easy to simply obey everything their selected leader says without ever filtering the instruction through the Word of GOD. The narcissistic leader then misuses the Text, obedience is better than sacrifice [1 Samuel 15:22], thus creating followers of himself rather than followers of GOD. The only obedience that is better than sacrifice is obedience to GOD and His Word. In the context of 1 Samuel 15, Saul was not being reprimanded for disobeying GOD's prophet, he had disobeyed GOD's commandment concerning pre-war sacrifices. Sure Samuel was the mouthpiece of GOD, but Samuel wasn't flavoring or adding to GOD's words, he was simply repeating what GOD had given him to say. If the leader isn't saying what GOD says obedience is not required.
Do a quick study of the job of the watchman that GOD placed on the wall. You'll find that the watchman was only to say what GOD had specifically told him to say. He was not to add to it nor take away from it, simply repeat it.
I listened to a sermon recently in which the minister made abundantly clear the notion that his words from the pulpit were just as vital, and necessary, and GOD-breathed as those of the Old Testament prophets or the New Testament writers. To paraphrase another point of his sermonizing, if the members of his congregation didn't obey his instructions explicitly, they were disobeying GOD. The major problem with all of this is the fact that almost everything that he was preaching wasn't based in the Text, it was all his opinions (or more accurately, the opinions of the individuals he himself had chosen to follow; and thus the degrees of separation increase exponentially). I know this an extreme example of misusing the pulpit for personal credenda, but this is becoming more the norm than the minority.
How often is the goal of my lesson or sermon to create followers of me rather than followers of GOD?
Be honest, it feels good to challenge people's thinking or to drop that nugget in their lap. It's easy to become addicted to the accolades. But is this truly what GOD called His mouthpieces to be: credit seekers or demagogues? Our purpose as ministers of His Good News is to point the way to Him, not to our opinions about Him. If—as a minister in a pulpit—you've ever saddled the congregation with your personal convictions or opinions about the Text you're guilty of trying to replace GOD in the hearer's lives. If we were honest, we've all done this in some way or another, but now that we see the error of our ways, we must avoid it at all costs.
Someone said recently of a local congregation that is experiencing attrition, "For months they [the ministry] encouraged the congregation to read and study the Bible every day. Then, when the congregation had dropped by more than a third, they never said that again." Is there a connection to this congregation's attrition and their studying the Text? Why would studying the Text encourage attrition? What did those who relocated to another congregation see in the Text that was contrary to what was being taught and/or preached? When Peter gave the instruction that ministers should feed the flock [1 Peter 5:1-3], he wasn't empowering us to choose the feed; we have to feed the congregation what has been left by the Good Shepherd. It's interesting to note that in verse three of this Text, Peter instructs that this shepherding (or feeding) is not be administered through domineering over those in your charge but by example.
To foster true followership of GOD we have to stop trying to dominate the congregation and begin leading by example. Paul told the Community at Corinth that they should imitate him in the same manner in which he imitated Christ, or simply because he imitated Christ [1 Corinthians 11:1]. Something to point out here is the fact that when a New Testament writer referred to Jesus as Christ, they were emphasizing His Messiahship. Messiah can be interpreted as the Salvation of YHWH. Another way of looking at Paul's instruction is like this: imitate me as you see me imitating Salvation; when I stop imitating Salvation, stop imitating me. But, for this admonition to become something more than just skilled rhetoric, there is a major responsibility placed on the shoulders of the congregation. All of us have a responsibility to not only read the Bible, but to also study the Text, to become intimate with GOD's thoughts and Character. If we don't, we'll never know when we're being led astray.
Mark Batterson made this statement: my job as a preacher is not to interpret the Text for you, my job is to teach you to properly interpret the Text yourself. What a declaration! This is a minister who has discovered his responsibility as GOD's mouthpiece.
How often is my life as a minister not imitating Salvation?
How often are my words not Salvation's words?
How often do I keep the responsibility and joy of understanding the Text from the people I'm serving?
Perhaps we should adopt this credo:
- As a minister of GOD's Good News, I commit to only shepherding His people with His Words.
- As a minister of GOD's Good News, I commit to never saddling GOD's people with my personal preferences.
- As a minster of GOD's Good News, I commit to strive for godly followership rather than narcissistic leadership.
I would be willing to wager that very quickly the attrition would stem.
Thursday, March 4, 2010
Just How Weak Are You?
Recently I was involved in a Twitter conversation concerning weakness vs. strength. The catalyst for the conversation was the following statement:
"Cater to the weak, the weak get weaker. Cater to the strong, the weak get stronger."
In my opinion, this credo sums up the fundamental flaw with present-day pentecostalism. Yeah, I know, you're thinking, "Here goes Monte on another sacred cow tipping adventure," but please look past my normal brashness to the heart of this statement. While this thinking may be a vitally important leadership principle in a secular sense, there is no biblical basis for the theory.
There is an obsession in the Apostolic Movement with leadership. We have leadership conferences where we are taught to focus on leading people and are indoctrinated with the latest team-building guru's enlightened drivel. I'll be the first to admit that there is some good that is to be gleaned from these types of sessions, but I'll also be the first to admit that these sessions do—in fact—rob our attention from our true purpose: disciple making.
When did GOD call us to be great leaders?
Appreciating the political irony of Ayn Rand's novels doesn't mean that her economic views gee-haw with the Text (especially what with her being an atheist and all). Too often we form our spiritual opinions and posture by our social and political view, rather than allowing our relationship and mission from GOD to shape every other aspect of our lives.
To reference the statement: cater to the strong… This flies in the face of GOD. Jesus demonstrated to us that the Good Shepherd will leave the 99 [strong] sheep to go searching for the one lost [weak] sheep. In fact, if you take the time to study the Text from Genesis to Revelation, you won't find one instance of the weak being ignored for the sake of the strong. You will find, however, plenty of examples of the strong being admonished to bear up those who are struggling or in need.
In my opinion, this obsession with leadership stems from the deification of our processes, or denominational structures. We're so drunk on power that we can't live without the euphoria of leadership. For so long we have lived our lives within the confines of these organizations or fellowships that were created by man and for man that we've actually started to drink our own Kool-Aid. Well, lest a new generation die on the streets of our denominational Jonestowns, let's face the fact that our structures are drifting us far from GOD and His Mission.
I have recently been accused of wanting to water down Truth for the sake of convenience. This accusation was hurled by individuals who have sat at the feet of their own headlines for so long that they've forgotten their purpose, so blinded are they to their myriad additions to the Text. GOD never called us to build churches full of strong people. GOD never called us to build art galleries full of perfect people. GOD never called us to punish the weak members of our congregations by ignoring their struggles and character flaws. GOD called us to make disciples. A disciple maker's job is to teach and instruct a weak individual into strength. If anything, the strong should be ignored because they've got their crap together. What was it Jesus said? Something about if you're not sick you don't need a doctor…?
I'm sorry, far be it from me to actually utilize Text to shift the discussion.
Here's a thought: consider for a moment that you're an under-shepherd entrusted with the care of the Shepherd's flock while He's gone on business. When He returns you tell Him that rather than present Him with a flock of sickly, worn down sheep, you simply put all your focus on those who never got sick, who never drifted off on their own, who never had to be taught to eat the right grass, etc. Then you tell Him that because you were focusing only on those sheep who were strong that you decided that the weak sheep would learn by example to simply return to the flock when they'd drifted off, or would see all the strong sheep eating the good grass and see that they should change their eating habits, or see that the other sheep weren't sick and thus heal themselves. Then tell Him that those weak sheep who wouldn't learn from the example of the strong sheep… well, you just let them go, because they were holding the flock back from their full potential. Then, when you've told the Shepherd all of this, show Him His flock. Do you really think for a moment that He's going to be pleased that only a few sheep remain? Do yourself a favor, read W. Phillip Keller's book A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23; it will change your opinion on the true role of a pastor in the lives of the congregation. Understanding our role as under-shepherd realigns us with our true purpose.
When we forget our purpose we create our own doctrines and missions; hence, religiosity and denominationalism.
Paul admonished us to glory in our infirmities. And no, he's not talking about physical infirmities, he's referencing our spiritual worthlessness. Isaiah told us that—in GOD's eyes—our best attempts at appearing holy are as if we were to wear clothes that have been used to clean human excrement or to absorb menstrual discharge (do the study, you'll see that I'm correct). Could it be that we're so covered in all of this that we've stopped diffracting His Light and Glory?
We need to stop lying to ourselves. We all struggle with issues. There are times when we're all weak, and there are time in which we are all strong; although I'd be willing to bet that the weak moments far outweigh the strong ones. GOD didn't call us to be dictatorial leaders who's desire for global conquest drive us to create uber-humans. He called us to make disciples by imitating His own life, and by teaching His yoke.
I'll leave you with this statement: Cater to the strong, your kingdom will grow. Heal the weak, bear them up, teach them where they screwed up, pray for them through their humanity… do all this and you'll be advancing GOD's Kingdom.
"Cater to the weak, the weak get weaker. Cater to the strong, the weak get stronger."
In my opinion, this credo sums up the fundamental flaw with present-day pentecostalism. Yeah, I know, you're thinking, "Here goes Monte on another sacred cow tipping adventure," but please look past my normal brashness to the heart of this statement. While this thinking may be a vitally important leadership principle in a secular sense, there is no biblical basis for the theory.
There is an obsession in the Apostolic Movement with leadership. We have leadership conferences where we are taught to focus on leading people and are indoctrinated with the latest team-building guru's enlightened drivel. I'll be the first to admit that there is some good that is to be gleaned from these types of sessions, but I'll also be the first to admit that these sessions do—in fact—rob our attention from our true purpose: disciple making.
When did GOD call us to be great leaders?
Appreciating the political irony of Ayn Rand's novels doesn't mean that her economic views gee-haw with the Text (especially what with her being an atheist and all). Too often we form our spiritual opinions and posture by our social and political view, rather than allowing our relationship and mission from GOD to shape every other aspect of our lives.
To reference the statement: cater to the strong… This flies in the face of GOD. Jesus demonstrated to us that the Good Shepherd will leave the 99 [strong] sheep to go searching for the one lost [weak] sheep. In fact, if you take the time to study the Text from Genesis to Revelation, you won't find one instance of the weak being ignored for the sake of the strong. You will find, however, plenty of examples of the strong being admonished to bear up those who are struggling or in need.
In my opinion, this obsession with leadership stems from the deification of our processes, or denominational structures. We're so drunk on power that we can't live without the euphoria of leadership. For so long we have lived our lives within the confines of these organizations or fellowships that were created by man and for man that we've actually started to drink our own Kool-Aid. Well, lest a new generation die on the streets of our denominational Jonestowns, let's face the fact that our structures are drifting us far from GOD and His Mission.
I have recently been accused of wanting to water down Truth for the sake of convenience. This accusation was hurled by individuals who have sat at the feet of their own headlines for so long that they've forgotten their purpose, so blinded are they to their myriad additions to the Text. GOD never called us to build churches full of strong people. GOD never called us to build art galleries full of perfect people. GOD never called us to punish the weak members of our congregations by ignoring their struggles and character flaws. GOD called us to make disciples. A disciple maker's job is to teach and instruct a weak individual into strength. If anything, the strong should be ignored because they've got their crap together. What was it Jesus said? Something about if you're not sick you don't need a doctor…?
I'm sorry, far be it from me to actually utilize Text to shift the discussion.
Here's a thought: consider for a moment that you're an under-shepherd entrusted with the care of the Shepherd's flock while He's gone on business. When He returns you tell Him that rather than present Him with a flock of sickly, worn down sheep, you simply put all your focus on those who never got sick, who never drifted off on their own, who never had to be taught to eat the right grass, etc. Then you tell Him that because you were focusing only on those sheep who were strong that you decided that the weak sheep would learn by example to simply return to the flock when they'd drifted off, or would see all the strong sheep eating the good grass and see that they should change their eating habits, or see that the other sheep weren't sick and thus heal themselves. Then tell Him that those weak sheep who wouldn't learn from the example of the strong sheep… well, you just let them go, because they were holding the flock back from their full potential. Then, when you've told the Shepherd all of this, show Him His flock. Do you really think for a moment that He's going to be pleased that only a few sheep remain? Do yourself a favor, read W. Phillip Keller's book A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23; it will change your opinion on the true role of a pastor in the lives of the congregation. Understanding our role as under-shepherd realigns us with our true purpose.
When we forget our purpose we create our own doctrines and missions; hence, religiosity and denominationalism.
Paul admonished us to glory in our infirmities. And no, he's not talking about physical infirmities, he's referencing our spiritual worthlessness. Isaiah told us that—in GOD's eyes—our best attempts at appearing holy are as if we were to wear clothes that have been used to clean human excrement or to absorb menstrual discharge (do the study, you'll see that I'm correct). Could it be that we're so covered in all of this that we've stopped diffracting His Light and Glory?
We need to stop lying to ourselves. We all struggle with issues. There are times when we're all weak, and there are time in which we are all strong; although I'd be willing to bet that the weak moments far outweigh the strong ones. GOD didn't call us to be dictatorial leaders who's desire for global conquest drive us to create uber-humans. He called us to make disciples by imitating His own life, and by teaching His yoke.
I'll leave you with this statement: Cater to the strong, your kingdom will grow. Heal the weak, bear them up, teach them where they screwed up, pray for them through their humanity… do all this and you'll be advancing GOD's Kingdom.
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