It never ceases to amaze me how very little TEAMWORK is used in church leadership. We have some wonderful people in this world that have taken on the mantle of leadership because they love people and they truly want to see people grow closer to the Lord. BUT some of these wonderful people are so often under the impression that THEY must fulfill God's desire for ministry all on their own. The results of this belief are devastating.
It's so hard to watch fellow leaders with amazing hearts and abundant potential try to do everything and be everything on their own. They often fall into the trap of feeling that because they are the leader (pastor) they must continuously meet everyone's needs. The truth is...they can't. And if they make themselves available to everyone's beck and call...they will eventually end up not meeting anyone's needs. They will often trade one person for another because one will have a bigger "need" than the other and pretty soon people will feel insecure in the actual "care" they receive from their leader.
Some leaders want to reach so many different groups of people that they will start up several different ministries within their church to reach all these people but they will do it all themselves. We can get so busy sometimes doing alot of ministries that even though we are doing so many things, we are not doing any one thing well. We just end up getting by with the ministry but people are getting lost in the process.
I've also realized that this isn't just a "thing" that some leaders do...it's a "result" of where they are at as leaders. So I have discoverd throughout my journey in leadership that there are 3 types of Leaders.
First Type: The Control Freak
We've all probably come across one of these types in life. They are usually not shy or timid, but rather very assertive in leadership. Not that being assertive is a bad thing in and of itself, but what lies at the base of this personality is what makes all the difference. This is usually where you will find the phrase : "my way or the highway". Control type leaders are not open to suggestion. They believe their way is always best and they believe that because they are the leader that God has given them all authority to make decisions based on what they think is best. Control type leaders are not afraid of conflict because they usually stir it up everywhere they go. But the conflict is very rarely resolved because it's usually based on their opinion and not on Scripture. Usually Control types don't seek God first in making decisions but rather in what suits their needs at that time. Control leaders may say the right things to you that you need to hear that makes you feel secure that they are willing to change things and open to new ideas but actions will always speak louder than words. They may say they will change but never will or it will be very short lived. Contol type leaders will never give out control to anyone else. They may place others in leadership but they will always micromanage and often change the course of others ministry because they ultimately have to be in charge. Control type leaders often use the "bully" affect to force people into submission.
Second Type: The Insecure Leader
To me, this is the most dangerous type of leader there is. First thing, we cannot confuse insecurity with humility. They are two completely different things. Humility is constantly realizing how much you need God in your life to help you become the leader that He wants you to be. Realizing how Big He is and how much more you need to learn about Him. Humility is constantly keeping God in the center of your thought life. Insecurity is all about keeping you at the center of your thought life. It's about how things, circumstances, and other people make You feel. This is dangerous because if you are an insecure leader then that is at the very core of ALL of your decisions. The Insecure Leader can often times be confused for a Control Type Leader because they usually end up doing everything themselves, but there is a big difference between the two types and that is their heart. Insecure leaders often care alot about others and what other people think. This is both a good and a bad thing. Good, because they truly want to love people and make other people feel cared for. The bad thing is, they care too much about what others think and want to keep people happy. The Insecure leader will often be tormented because they feel a constant pull between a lot of people that they care about and they will wear themselves out trying to keep everyone happy. The problem with this is, they usually start listening to people over the voice of God and this is a very quick way to get a church/ministry off track. Insecure Leaders HATE conflict. This will always be the turning point from bad to worse. Conflict is a part of leadership. period. If you can't handle conflict then you need to get out now. Insecure leaders who can't handle conflict, will NEVER put strong leaders in ministry positions. They will always put people in positions of leadership that will need lots of guidance and help from them. Why? Because it is a lower risk of conflict if their ministry workers are always asking for their advice and guidance. Insecure Leaders are often afraid that someone else will get "off track" of the vision they have and so rather than the possibility of conflict, it's easier for them to just do it themselves. Insecure leaders are master manipulaters. They know exactly what people need to hear in order to gain control over the situation and have a way of "guilting" people into submission.
Third Type: The Secure Leader
This is the goal for all of us leaders. The leader who can walk in humility and confidence at the same time. The leader who can boldly walk into situations with strength and a peace of mind because they are firmly holding onto God's hand and they know that they are on the right track with His will because they are in constant communication with Him. The type of leader that realizes that it is not up to them to make the rules for God's people to follow but to simply enforce and encourage the rules that God has already put into place for us to follow. The type of leader that recognizes that God uses people. Lots of people. God is all about people so that becomes a leaders heartbeat as well. The type of leader that understands that God doesn't just give vision to one person but to those He chooses to use to carry out HIS PLAN. The type of leader that does not fear conflict but rather sees it as an amazing opportunity for growth in the Body of Christ, to bring Truth and Unity to believers. The type of leader that seeks God over who He wants to use in ministry, how He wants to use them in ministry, and when He wants to use them in ministry and what He needs them as leaders to do in the process. The type of leader that links arms with other strong leaders because they realize that God's plans are bigger than any one person and they simply cannot do it alone.They are not intimidated or afraid of other leaders who are equal to or stronger than them in leadership but instead see it as an opportunity for personal growth and a way to learn from each other. The type of leader that does not need anyone to submit to them because they realize that people's submission has nothing to do with them but with what those people are willing to open themselves up to. The secure leader will not demand submission, but rather work hard to live out a Godly life in front of those they lead in such a way that the people are not coherced but persuaded to follow their example.
The bottom line is: We simply cannot lead alone. If our ministry will only go as fast as we can run...then we need more runners. We cannot afford to get worn out and too tired to keep going in ministry. And the wonderful thing is...we don't have to...because God didn't design for us to do His will alone. We have to remember that we are here on this Earth to serve one purpose only: To do what God is calling us to do. How often do we get in the way of His plan because we act on our own ideas of what we want to do..for Him? Maybe it's not about us doing what we want to do for Him but instead do what He wants us to do for His Kingdom. For His Purpose. For His Glory.
We need each other desperately. We have to make room for other people to be used in the way that God is calling them to be used. It doesn't mean that we forget God's standards of ministry and let whoever do whatever but it means that we realize that everyone has different personalities and styles and God created those in each of us. It means that just because it might not be the way you would do it, it doesn't make it any less God. Unless it goes against the Bible, different styles or approaches in ministry doesn't make it wrong, it just makes the Body of Christ diverse. We have to make room for others to be used. We need to stop standing in the way and hindering the things that God wants to do because we forget that we are not the only ones He wants to use in moving His Kingdom forward.
The bottom bottom line is...Our leadership is either Really All About Him...or it's not. What kind of leader will you be?
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