To be a great leader does not necessarily mean we are great servants of God.
Knowing when, where, and how to apply leadership skills is far more important than being ABLE to lead others. In Jesus Christ there are boundaries about where and what we can lead others. There are no blank checks to do with God’s people what we want. God’s people are not to be seen as our piggy banks or our experimental sheep.
Great leaders know how to deal with people, loyal followers can be easy to control and even abuse. But they also know hot do deal with their opponents, which usually usually a combination of ignoring them (when they are right) and shredding them in debate, (from a stage) when they are wrong.
The Jesus-follower who is led of the spirit is not a constant and forever leader of other Jesus followers, he or she applies his leadership always and only where the spirit leads him to. His leadership is subject and surrendered to the Holy Spirit. His leadership is not free for his personal use and ambition.
This attitude is very common today. Never raise your kids to have the attitude that THEY are the leader. Most pastors kids are examples of this. Dad trains them from a young age to expect to leader (which is really to dominate) other Christians. To sift your friends to find those who will be subject to your leadership, to drive away those who will not yield. They hit their mid-20’s and need income they think “Maybe dad was right … and I do have to be the leader”.
Sometimes… it’s the dominating ego (that their parents carefully trained them to have) kicks in and they “take a church.”
It is abusive (to the body of Christ as a whole) to teach young Christians that, and to teach older Christians to expect that of certain Christian families.
Instead teach them first and foremost how to be led of the Holy Spirit. Then teach them secondarily how to lead, but only subject to and yielded to the spirit.
Just because a crowd of Christians expects to be led, and wants a great human leader and is offering “tithes”, and you are able to lead, and need an income, does not mean you have permission from the Lord to become what we call a modern day pastor. We are not led by logic and fleecing. We are to be led by the Holy Spirit, not by mom and dad.
