Being Lead Beagle
Ron Walters
Snoopy was right! "It's tough being lead beagle."
Many words define leader: ambitious, competitive, disciplinarian, independent, dogmatic, and the list goes on. Seminars abound with the promise of improving leadership skills, rising to the top, and in some cases, creating something out of nothing. But, the Biblical picture is very different. More times than not, the words above don't apply. Instead, it's humility and serving, lower and least, temperate and faithful.
A.W. Tozer wrote, "A true and safe leader is likely to be one who has no desire to lead, but is forced into a position of leadership by the inward pressure of the Holy Spirit and the press of the external situation. Such were Moses and David and the Old Testament prophets. I think there was hardly a great leader from Paul to the present day but was drafted by the Holy Spirit for the task, and commissioned by the Lord of the church to fill a position he had little heart for. I believe it might be accepted as a fairly reliable rule-of-thumb that the man who is ambitious to lead is disqualified as a leader."
It's a strange work we perform; so unpredictable, so all consuming, so difficult to define. What other job description is comparable to a shepherd? Name another CEO who the Bible warns "will give an account." Why aren't Harvard Business grads held, as we are, to "a stricter judgment?" No job postings in the Chronicle have ever included "must watch over souls," yet we're required to.
I remember seeing a job description in a Wisconsin newspaper for a pastor. In part it read, "The successful candidate should possess a will of his own but agree with all the church at the same time. He must be willing to preach first class sermons, and do first class work, at second class compensation. He should be able to convince all they are miserable sinners without being offensive. He only who possesses the above qualifications need apply."
Snoopy WAS right.
Biblical leaders were never validated by a Sunday sermon or the use of diplomacy. Confrontation was never an exercise to be avoided. God's group was often a ragged lot made up of fresh thinking, non-conforming, even odd looking characters who were hopelessly in love with their God and remarkably available to Him and His will. Their names have become a rolodex of champions known by every generation. Even today God is adding to that list.
Blessings,
Ron Walters
Vice President of Church Relations
P.S. If you're looking for great preaching tools, don't forget Preaching Magazine. It's my favorite. Check it out at Preaching.com. Do your congregation a favor by subscribing.
Copyright 2007 by Ron Walters | | | | 
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