Alexandra Ocasio Cortez is a very young woman recently elected to the House of Representatives in NYC.
She has received criticism for her green new deal legislation.
Don’t worry this post is not a political hit. It is not about her Green New Deal.
This post is an observation about leadership that AOC is displaying and succeeding with. And an attempt to compare the leadership we see in government and many corporations and even in many churches, with that of our Lord Jesus Christ and his disciples. I have come to believe that leadership, void of the leading of Christ, can be summarized by a phrase. That phrase is “whoever tries the hardest, is in charge.” This is true particularly for young people trying to break into leadership ranks.
Listen to this quote from congresswoman AOC from an interview. This was in response to criticism she has received from her Green New Deal legislation.
“I’m at least trying and they (older democrats) are not, so the power is in the person who is trying, regardless of the success, if you are trying you’ve got all the power you’re driving the agenda…it’s creating all of this conversation, no one else has even tried, critics “it’s unrealistic, it’s big, it doesn’t address this thing,” I’m like you try, you do it, cause you’re not, so until you do it, I’m the boss, how about that?” – Alexandra Ocasio Cortez
I’m the one trying the hardest so I’m in charge. This is the mantra of the modern day leader. This is a Go Getter who has ambitions for government. This is the worldly person seeking power over others. Of course, I am simplifying, it is more complex than this. There are other factors in leadership, like the ability to communicate, the willingness to be criticized and to not quit.
But all things being equal, AOC’s comment is a perfect description of the requirements for human leadership. You want to lead, you want to dominate others, you want to be “in charge”?
Then do like AOC does, try HARD, do something, get things done. Act first, be a go-getter, be the first to move and get advantage.
Interviewer: “In your ability to galvanize your supporters through social media, you have been compared to Donald Trump.”
“Well, I think that there’s this rush to make that comparison, but any time media fundamentally changes, the first movers to recognize that change — and to learn it and to adapt to it — tend to have that first-move advantage. So this is less about personality, less about Trump, and more about who has had the first-mover advantage. But there are similarities. People who succeed in social media follow similar tenets. In order to resonate with people, you have to tell them what you mean, you have to be willing to make mistakes, you have to be willing to be vulnerable and learn as you go.” – Alexandria Ocasio Cortez
Let’s compare this try the hardest first move advantage to the leadership of Jesus Christ and his disciples.
He and his followers waited quietly and meekly, until they knew the time was right.
They were careful to not jump ahead and do their own thing. Jesus repeatedly taught and displayed the concept of doing nothing except what he saw his heavenly father doing. He also taught his disciples “without me you can do nothing.”
The behaviors rewarded and prerequisite for leadership outside of Christ is the polar opposite to those inside Christ and his kingdom.
Leadership within Christ and his kingdom is needed and rare but it is nothing like what we see in our governments and businesses.
The real church is the body of Christ on earth, those following Jesus Christ.
Churches which gravitate toward this go-getter style of leadership are not living by the life of Jesus Christ. They are living by the life of fallen humanity which is beholden to evil powers and principalities. This should be received as a warning to Christians.
Go-Getter leaders like AOC and Donald Trump should not dominate within the body of Christ. If and when they do it is a red-flag about a community of believers.
At worst it’s idolatry, bored with Jesus they prefer another king, another Lord, a visible leader like themselves.
At best they are deeply confused between the kingdom of Jesus Christ and the kingdoms of the world.
Jesus Christ, alive and well is the only Go-Getter we will ever need.
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For some it is easy to engineer and deliver anointed sermons from scripture. For others it comes natural to design a church vision as we see fit.
Some of us have leadership skills drilled into us during our elementary years that come natural in our adult years and we just apply it to church.
Plus there’s always a crowd to target who crave to be led around and told what to do.
For others it’s easy to live and minister to others according to what seems right and according to our biblical worldview and sense of morality.
But living like that is not what Jesus wants, regardless of how well we’ve been trained at it. And since Jesus is Lord and not we, we just cannot live like that …and suppose we are pleasing him.
This is true even if it means we will never do a productive thing in a ministry!
Few will accept that.
I’d much rather do nothing while clinging to Jesus Christ than have a full life of “ministry” that Jesus is not really actively doing through me.
I’d never want my Lord think “He is just doing his thing, because it seems right, he’s on religious autopilot. It looks great to many but he hasn’t checked with me about doing all that.”
But man I get it, it sure is tempting.
I see why men go get their “credentials” and take a church to fill their lives. It can be difficult to wait on him and only do as he does.
I bet it would be even more difficult if I had family ministry pressures and expectations to live up to.
I bet it would be even more difficult if ministry is how I am accustomed to earning a living.
One thing I know is important that many just won’t accept or submit to. Never do ministry out of your own self it’s a huge life mistake which also leads others astray.
This may mean wait but it really means listen for the life of Jesus Christ… then try to keep up.
Jesus Christ is very active, he is like a river of life which is constantly flowing.
Dip your bucket into him and let him be your source.
Always having Jesus as our source means naturally that we will not be idle for long unless he leads us that way for a specific season and purpose.
No matter the reason or length of time he leads us that way; it’s critical that we are ok with it. If he is Lord we will be ok with anything even if it causes us to look bad in the eyes of others.
He is well worth whatever wait or embarrassment we may be subjected to.
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