THOUGHTS ON THE LORD’S DAY

”Never forget, you are a leader–not God.”

The pattern is all too familiar. You cheerfully and willingly meet another person’s need, then bask in the new attention and admiration. However, praise and admiration soon turns to resentment when a need arises that you cannot fill. It’s not long before the disillusioned and disappointed tear down their “failed God.”

God warns every leader in Isaiah 42:8, “I am the Lord; that is my name! I will not give my glory to anyone else, nor share my praise with carved idols” (NLT). When you forget you are a reflector and not the source, your ability to significantly influence your team soon ends.

In order to avoid having people look to you to meet their needs, rather than to God, requires humility and redirection. Jesus said in Matthew 6:14, “But when you give alms, don’t let your left hand know what your right hand is doing. Do what you do in secret, so God can reward you openly.”

Great leaders graciously accept the admiration and respect of the people they serve. However, they redirect their hearts toward the source of both the love and the ability to serve.

If you don’t direct peoples’ trust and expectation’s to a source outside of themselves, you set them up for unfulfilled expectations. Unfulfilled expectations still brings life’s greatest disappointments. Never forget you are not God, you are only a channel.

No leader has arrived at the point of perfection. Every leader is still striving to overcome their own issues. Regardless of talent and ability, no leader is better than anyone else. They are simply appointed, elected or chosen to lead at a given point in time.

New leaders must reject the thought they are not worthy and qualified to serve. If they don’t, their team will lack confidence in their leadership.

Long-serving leaders must reject the notion that they are the source of their own success. If they don’t, their team will soon see their lack of credibility.