As I look around today I see so many believers desiring to have leadership positions in the church. But so many of them don’t necessarily want the position, but want what the positions brings in today’s times. Lets see, being a pastor or co-pastor in today’s times can brings money (of course, lots of it), a big fancy house, cars, jewelry, and of course it can pump and ego to the size of a hot air balloon. These things are not bad in themselves (except for the ego that is pretty bad) , nor is it bad to have these things, but I do say we shouldn’t allow these things or any material things to cloud our vision especially those of us in leadership positions. When we look at Paul’s writings in 1Cor. 4 we don’t see Paul glamorizing being an apostle but what we see is the exact opposite. Paul says: ” To this present hour we are both hungry and thirsty, and are poorly clothed, and are roughly treated and are homeless; and we toil, working with our own hands, when we are reviled, we bless; when we are slandered, we try to conciliate; we have become as the scum of the world, the dregs of all things, even until now. 1Cor.4:11-13″ Paul shows that this job is not a glorious one. To the carnal eye the job isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. He says pretty much we are poor, we have nothing, and we work . He says in 1Cor. 4:9 he believes God made them the last of all men, because they have become spectacles to the world. He later describes himself and fellow teachers as the scum of the world. The scum is not even the filthy object itself, it is the film the object leaves behind. Paul says all of this to show that true leadership in Christ, is not about being successful, not about the greatness that usually comes with leadership in the world. He shows that leadership in Christ is at the bottom where its ugly and dirty, where you might get walked on, full of humility, not pride. What does your leadership look like?
Author comment by Lionel Woods | August 23, 2010 at 9:12 am
Wowzers!!!!!!
Man on man J-Merc, it is so profound how you make such deep moving posts with so little words. I would have had like 20 paragrahs . Even in 1 Timothy and throughout Acts and 2 Cor 11 and most of all the Cross we see leadership in scripture to look totally different than the lime light, book writing, stage performing leadership we see today. And thus for some reason I find myself antagonistic against it.
This is such a simple truth that GLEAMS from Scripture. Why don’t the leaders of today (many of whom spend countless hours and money pursuing biblical studies and understanding of the Scriptures) see this truth? Should we not see more leaders like the one you describe in the post because of our technological and educational advances? Surely we now have access to more information to help us with these texts than ever before. Or could that be our crutch? Could our access be to so much be clouding our ability to hear from the Holy Spirit and allow Him to “teach us all things” (John 14:26). This issue really perplexes me…
Wowzers!!!!!!
Man on man J-Merc, it is so profound how you make such deep moving posts with so little words. I would have had like 20 paragrahs
. Even in 1 Timothy and throughout Acts and 2 Cor 11 and most of all the Cross we see leadership in scripture to look totally different than the lime light, book writing, stage performing leadership we see today. And thus for some reason I find myself antagonistic against it.