I’m not
sure there is too much the members can do to help spiritual leaders to be
level-headed. It’ll be great not to idolise leaders but I’m not sure it’ll help
if the leader is prone to pride anyway.
I think
it’s up to the leaders themselves to find a board or a group of friends or some
people that they choose to be accountable to…it could even be their
spouses…people that have nothing to gain from them and are bold enough to tell
them the truth, no matter what!
The
consequences of idolisation are graver for the leaders than for the followers…
I don’t
believe followers that submit to leadership/authority are doing wrong…Hebrews
13:17 says ‘Obey your leaders and submit to their authority. They keep watch
over you as men who must give an account. Obey them so that their work will be
a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no advantage to you.’
In Acts
20:28, Paul was addressing the elders of the church in Ephesus. He told them, ‘KEEP
WATCH OVER YOURSELVES and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you
overseers. [traditionally bishops] Be shepherds of the church of God, [the
Lord] which He bought with his own blood.
God will
not share His glory with any man/woman, minister or lay man…Jesus shed His
blood for the church; He is not joking…
I am
terrified (for want of a better word) when I think of Acts 12: 21-24
‘On the
appointed day Herod, wearing his royal robes, sat on his throne and delivered a
public address to the people. They shouted, “This is the voice of a god, not of
a man.” Immediately, because Herod did not give praise to God, an angel of the
Lord struck him down, and he was eaten by worms and died. But the word of God
continued to increase and spread.’
People tend
to idolize their leaders perhaps because of their natural tendencies to do that
but also because the leaders encourage them to do so. The angel of God struck
Herod down because he did not give praise to God. It was Herod that gave the
speech that excited the people but he did not realise that it was God that
deserved the praise…I believe a lot of leaders have not been struck down only
because of the Lord’s mercy…
The most
ineffective leaders are those that exercise positional authority…The most
effective leaders are those that understand that leadership is not for personal
gain but an opportunity given by God to build up His people…the members have
been washed by the blood of the Lamb…they are worth the blood of Jesus….
I know I’ve
written an epistle on this…I can’t help it…It’s hurtful to see God’s people
being mishandled despite how precious they are to the Lord…I have heard too
many hurtful stories that make me ask that the Lord should come quickly…Shalom…
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