Church leaders have the opportunity to deprive our great enemy of his best and most effective tool. What is that tool? It is us when we are more concerned about our own glory and reputation than we are of God’s glory and reputation. When we make decisions and say things that misrepresent God, we are an apt tool in the enemy’s hand.
I am reminded of the answer to Question 1 of the Westminster Shorter Catechism. “The chief end of man is to glorify God and enjoy him forever.”
There are 1,440 minutes in every day. Think about yesterday and tally up how many of them were spent in promoting your own agenda, increasing your own comfort, or increasing your own reputation. Then add up the minutes that were used in active contemplation of how to best reflect God’s glory to a world that so desperately needs a glimpse of it.
I am guessing that I am not alone in finding this exercise shows me that I have much to repent of.
It is time that the church ditch the corporate model of the strong leader that pushes his agenda. What would the church look like if, instead, we followed the model of a leader who actively demonstrates a life of continual repentance and dependence upon God?
What is at stake is God’s reputation. When we misrepresent God, people get hurt.
Think about this question: How many people have you met that were hurt by the actions of a church leader who misrepresented God by driving his own agenda? I have met many who have legitimate complaints about how they were treated by a pastor or church leader. How many of them have walked away from the church and are unwilling or reluctant to return?
The stakes are high. We, who are called to be church leaders, need to be aware of our tendency to go wrong and humbly seek God on a moment by moment basis. Otherwise we will go wrong and people will get hurt.
Take the tool out of the enemy’s hand.