"I don't really want to lead" Part 1
Why is it the case that leadership is so hard to come by in the church? It seems at times that the people you both want and need to step up and lead are reluctant to do so. At other times, the people who want to be the leader (even if they won't admit it), are the very people you don't want to lead because of their lack of vision, maturity or direction.What makes a good leader in the church? Do we really follow the guidelines that Paul lays out in his letters to Timothy and Titus? Do we follow Jesus' model of being a disciple makers? Or do we follow a 'business model' and pick out folks who seem like they've got it together? Or do we just look for 'good folks' who don't seem too messed up?Have you ever seen someone be chosen as a leader (teacher, ministry leader, minister, elder, deacon, etc) only to find out that they really weren't or aren't cut out for that job? Or to later find out that their vision of what their role is supposed to be is very different than what yourself and others thought it was?Have you ever been asked to lead in some role? What went into your decision to accept or decline a leadership role? Have you ever taken a leadership role that you probably shouldn't have? What happened? Have you ever wanted to be a leader but have been overlooked or not considered? How did you respond?There are different kinds of leaders - some are good at managing a system that's already in place, but aren't that creative or able to adjust to changes in the system. Some leaders are people with creativity and vision and can develop a picture in their mind and move people and resources toward it by helping them see their picture. And there are folks that fall somewhere in between.Next week...reluctant leaders from the Bible.
posted by Wade Poe at 9:52 AM
2 Comments:
There are many times I wish I could lead but no one seems to want to follow. There are more times I wish someone else would lead then but then no one does. Hard not to be discouraged by that abyssmal spiral. I wonder if it is in God's will or Christ's example to go on alone then whether or not anybody will go with me? Part of me thinks that if my vision was set by God, then then He would send me someone else to be a partner like many in the Bible had. If I don't have even that one other, then surely I must not be focused in the right direction. BUT, Jesus was left with no one to stand with Him before the crucifixion, yet He went on. ????? Can a person be a leader even if there are no followers?
That's a good question. What is leadership? We say that we lead by example, but as the 'old saying' goes...he who thinks he is leading but has no followers is simply taking a walk. Is leadership a 'being up front' thing (especially as it often seems to be defined in the church) or is it drawing people and resources together to accomplish something or to move along a path together in a direction? What's a person to do if they've got a great vision, idea and heart but can't get anyone to listen or to follow? Hmmm....that's a large question deserving of a large answer, too big to answer here most likely. I'll look at how to answer that in Part two of this thing soon. Blessings....
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