Criticising Leaders
Hebrews 13:17 Obey your leaders. Be willing to do what they say. They are responsible for your spiritual welfare, so they are always watching to protect you. Obey them so that their work will give them joy, not grief. It won’t help you to make it hard for them.
The more individualistic we become in our outlook on life, the more prone we are to resisting authority and criticising our leaders. We’ve seen a lot of that over the last couple of years of this pandemic, right?
It’s interesting to me how often we hear preachers (like me) talking about having a personal relationship with Jesus. And whilst that is implied in Scripture, particularly in the Gospel accounts as people interacted with Him, it’s not really explicitly stated.
To the contrary, the emphasis in the New Testament is in fact on the church; on the body of Christ; on us being believers, disciples, people who exercise our God-given gifts in the context of a faith community. It’s more, much more, about mutuality rather than individuality.
And whenever you’re part of a community, you need to have leaders. That’s just the way things go. So, what are we to do with those leaders as this perspective of individuality more and more takes hold in our hearts?
Hebrews 13:17 Obey your leaders. Be willing to do what they say. They are responsible for your spiritual welfare, so they are always watching to protect you. Obey them so that their work will give them joy, not grief. It won’t help you to make it hard for them.
As someone whose natural gifting is to be a leader, I can tell you that people very rarely consider how difficult it is to lead. They almost never think of the personal toll that leadership exacts on the emotions, on the relationships, on the families of their leaders.
Sure, leaders aren’t perfect, and very occasionally, they’re downright awful. But in the main they’re doing their very best to lead.
Obey them. Be willing, with a good heart, to do what they say. And stop giving them grief.
That’s God’s Word. Fresh … for you … today.
Blessed by this devotion?
Share it with a friend!
Respond
Sue Norvell
Many thanks for this important reminder! I hope and pray that your offices etc will be sorted quickly and easily. God ...
more
Many thanks for this important reminder!
I hope and pray that your offices etc will be sorted quickly and easily.
God bless,
Sue