Dan Allender tells of a very difficult time in the life of Mars Hill. The resignation of a popular professor caused a big stir on campus. There was lots of confusion and misunderstanding. As President, he failed to handle it well- hoping instead that it would go away on its own.
There are days I need to know that other leaders fail. I feel so ordinary, so unspectacular. We need to know “no one can enter the tough terrain of leadership and not fail. But Paul did not hide his failures or defend or rationalize his choices. He led in a way that required grace to be more real than his competency.” Our incompetencies are more clear at some times than others. When things seem to be going well, we seem more competent than we really are. When they don’t, we seem less competent than we really are. At least that is my secondary hope (the first being that Jesus has paid the price for my numerous failures).
What Allender is getting at is that leading is not to be separated from the Gospel. We lead as people needing the Gospel, not as people somehow beyond the Gospel. Leading is bringing people into contact with the redemption Jesus purchased, by showing them how we both need it and have received it.
We lead people, not into a cozy, secure life but into the wild unknown where God reveals both how great & terrible our sin is and how great & satisfying His grace is. Real leadership will call people out of their comfort zones- and frankly, I have not found that to be very popular. Fleshly, counterfeit leadership leaves people in their comfort zones and does not call them to die that they might live.
“A leader must be troubled and discontent, and he must ask the question, How can tomorrow be better than today?” I guess I’m a leader 🙂 A leader is troubled and discontent enough to step “into the morass of hurt, accusation, and defenses in order to hear and see the real issues.” I’ve seen lots of troubled and discontent people who aren’t leaders. They just move on after spending some time criticizing w/out offering any real solutions.
Leadership is fraught with danger. On my desk I have written something like this: people court the favor of the priest, rebel against the authority of the king and despise the message of the prophet. Why? We want peace and safety. The seduction is to settle for a priestly ministry and be well-liked. But a leader who exposes where they come short, and what God is calling them to (the prophet) and marshalls them to get there (the king) is in for big trouble.
It is then that we must remember: “If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ.” (Galatians 1:10)
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