1Pe 5:5 Likewise you younger people, submit yourselves to your elders. Yes, all of you be submissive to one another, and be clothed with humility, for "GOD RESISTS THE PROUD, BUT GIVES GRACE TO THE HUMBLE."
I was talking to someone the other day who has been so disappointed with leadership that they have left the church. Their expectation was high and sometimes we feel rightly so. God has given them a heart to pastor, yet in the seeming busyness of life and running a church, there does not seem to be much one-on-one pastoring. Then again, churches grow, thankfully, and to get around to everyone on a personal visitation would leave them NO time at all to tend to preparing their sermons or the everyday running of the church.
So do we have too high an expectation for our leaders? I think not but I do think perhaps we need to look at this with a different perspective.
I have taken a good look at this – having struggled personally being overwhelmed to the point of losing all my joy. Apparently this was noticed by leadership, yet I did not have one call me in and sincerely ask, "How are you REALLY doing?" In pondering this, I realised a few things that I feel the Holy Spirit was whispering to my heart. Firstly, where was my focus?! Planted fairly and squarely on myself! No wonder I was in a bit of a bother! I have access to the throne room, and I did visit frequently over this period of time, but why do I feel that others should go running to the throne room on my behalf. Sure it would have been nice to have someone say they are concerned that I seem to be struggling with something, but as Joyce Meyer always says, we need to run to the throne and not to the phone. God is the one with the answers and He faithfully brought me through this "valley of the shadow of death" teaching me a lesson or two about myself and Him.
Secondly, more than this, I realised that just because I felt like this with my feelings running high on "self", I now have NO excuse to sincerely ask those around me, "How are you REALLY doing. Can I pray for you? Do you need someone to talk to; shall we go out for a coffee?" What if I asked my leaders these questions instead of waiting for them to ask me? We expect them to drop everything to run to our aid at our first call but do we run to their aid or the aid of someone else in the church? This is a question that begs answering, for each of us to search our hearts. If we did love our leaders and care for them in this way, how would it help them serve the church? WOW! What a thought!
"...For the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ" Eph 4:12
Thirdly, and please get this, "Judgement begins at the house of God". That's not just judgement on the leadership (and they will have the harshest judgement) but that includes you and me. Leaders, as the above scripture teaches, are to equip us for the work of ministry. Are we ministering to fellow believers as well as those in the market place? Are we doing, what we expect of our leaders, any better than they? Have we laid aside ourselves to help our fellow brothers and sisters? Do we give heaps of grace for our own short fallings but condemn our leaders and church family to judgement and criticism? Have we stepped out in faith and obedience to plant a church and have to put up with a congregation like us? Isn't it a bit two-faced for us to expect only the best Christian wisdom, behaviour and love from the leadership, yet, we can gossip about the way they run the church, and, criticise and judge our family in the church. We seem to have two standards – one for them and one for us.
There is no perfect church and certainly are no perfect people. Do we go to church for the benefits or, do we go to meet with Almighty God and be filled with His Love so that we can pour this overflowing love onto others? Let us do what the Apostle Paul urges us to do:-
"For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith." Rom 12:3
Let us give grace to each other, for when we stand before the judgement seat of Christ, we might be begging for God's grace upon us.
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