Don't Tell Me What To Do

In the months prior to D-Day, that pivotal moment when the Allies would send thousands of men across the English Channel to face the Axis powers, Dwight Eisenhower was appointed the Supreme Commander of all the forces! The massive invasion effort would require the coordinated efforts of military units from several nations commanded by generals who were accustomed to being in charge.  In addition to working out the strategy of the expedition, Eisenhower found himself faced with a huge challenge in overcoming the towering egos of generals who believed themselves his equal. With quiet determination, Ike led, ignoring the critics, listening to advice, making decisions using the authority invested in him, all the while keeping his own ego in check. Like a petulant children some of those other generals whined, argued, and resisted. But the effort needed a leader. History shows that Ike served well. Many of those same generals who were so offended by his appointment came to appreciate the man and his service.

Leaders are important – in families, in society; and yes, in the church.  Some imagine the church to be above the need for leaders. That ignores the Scripture that refers often to pastors and elders who are called to serve in leadership.   Jesus, the Head of the Church, “is the one who gave these gifts to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers. Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ, until we come to such unity in our faith and knowledge of God’s Son that we will be mature and full grown in the Lord, measuring up to the full stature of Christ." (Ephesians 4:13, NLT)  I see two critical principles here:  the church has leaders and those leaders are not charged to do ‘all the work,’ but rather to coordinate those in the church for maximum Kingdom effectiveness.

One of the major difficulties of the church in America is a failure of leadership. Some pastors are cowed into silence by multiple critics, others choose to use their holy calling for personal gain. Let me ask you to think carefully about these questions which I ask myself as I participate with those who lead me.

Are you one of those Christians who is stealing a blessing from yourself by being a critic, resisting the efforts of those who are your leaders?
Are you buying into the anti-authority sentiments of the culture and bringing it to church? 

Have you learned the theme of the New Testament, unity and cooperation?

The Bible says "Obey those who rule over you, and be submissive, for they watch out for your souls, as those who must give account. Let them do so with joy and not with grief, for that would be unprofitable for you." (Hebrews 13:17, NKJV)  “Obey” and “submit” are two words that are hard to accept.  There is a real spiritual issue involved.  The humility that motivates a person to support leaders bring a double blessing – one for those who lead and another for those who come into a deeper unity of purpose and work in the church.