Why follow imperfect leaders?

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"Obey your leaders and submit to their authority." Hebrews 13:17

Condition for obedience

The most common objection to obeying a leader is that s/he doesn't deserve to be obeyed! It seems that the condition for perfect obedience requires perfect leaders and perfect leadership. However, in God's wisdom, He has placed imperfect leaders who lead imperfectly in the Church and in the world. So that's it. We're off the hook. We don't need to obey any leaders then. Right?

A matter of the heart

A similar question was raised with Jesus. After giving Jesus the correct answer concerning the greatest commandments, the expert in the law smugly asked Jesus, "And who is my neighbour?" (see Luke 10:25-37). Jesus saw right through the man's self-righteous heart that was actually asking, "Who deserves to be loved?" In response, Jesus tells the parable of the merciful Samaritan and turns the question around by asking the expert in the law, "Which of these three do you think was a neighbour to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?" Jesus addresses the condition of the expert in the law's heart. The question is not "Who deserves to be loved?" Rather, the question is, "What is your heart attitude toward others?" Similarly, the question is not, "Who deserves to be obeyed?" Rather it is, "What is your heart attitude toward leaders and authority?"

Obedience to God or man?

Some may object and say, "As long as I am obedient to God's authority, I don't need to submit to any man." The problem with this attitude is that what we are in the natural is a reflection of what we are in the spiritual. John addresses this very principle when he writes, "If anyone says, 'I love God,' yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen. And he has given us this command: Whoever loves God must also love his brother." (1 John 4:20,21). We deceive ourselves when we think we can have a submissive heart toward God but not to human leaders. God-given authority serves to develop submissive hearts that reveal one's attitude toward God by the way we submit to one another. Paul writes, "Slaves, obey your earthly masters with respect and fear, and with sincerity of heart, just as you would obey Christ....Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord." (Ephesians 6:5,7). The same principle applies to husbands and wives, parents and children as well as to submitting to governing authorities (see Romans 13:1,2). Obviously we are not to submit to ungodly leaders or leadership but that is not the issue I want to address here but rather the attitide of our hearts toward authority in general.

How can one develop a better attitude toward authority and imperfect leaders and leadership?

"Obey your leaders and submit to their authority. They keep watch over you as men who must give an account. Obey them so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no advantage to you. Pray for us." Hebrews 13:17-18

Our primary motivation for sincere submission must be to serve the mission! God appoints leaders to lead people to fulfill His purposes. Leaders have a job to do and they need help. Leaders teach and equip so that Body of Christ will mature and be equipped so that everyone can do his or her work (see Ephesians 4:11-16). Submission to leaders serves the greater purpose to glorify God. It is not about the leader! It is about the mission that needs to be fulfilled. Our attitude toward a leader will either hinder him or her and burden him or her or it will help make his or her leadership a joy. Criticizing and exposing the leader's imperfections does not help get the job done. Supporting, helping and praying for the leader will help get the job done. When the leader is burdened, it is of no advantage to the "followers" because the work is hindered. We must keep in mind that we are serving the greater good and that honouring the leader's responsibility will help get the job done. Leaders are not leaders because they are perfect. They are leaders because they carry a responsibility.

I want to encourage you to be purposeful about developing a submissive heart toward authority and leaders in your life. Make their responsibility a joy! Here is how:

• Pray for your leaders (parents, teachers, bosses, presidents, pastors, etc).
• Encourage your leaders.
• Help your leaders.
• Thank your leaders.

Who are you following?

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Jesus says, "I am the way and the truth and the life." John 14:6

The Way

Jesus is the Way or the Gate through which we can enter to have fullness of life as God intended us to have. Through faith in Jesus, we have access to His life and become part of His fold.

"I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. He will come in and go out, and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full." John 10:9,10 (emphasis mine)

The Truth

Jesus is the Truth, the Shepherd whom we follow and look to as our example. The apostle Paul writes,

"Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ." 1 Corinthians 11:1

Paul modelled a life that was lived according to the example of Christ. The apostle always pointed to his Shepherd as the Truth and the example of fullness of life. Fully aware of his own weaknesses and failings, Paul exhorts the Corinthian believers to examine themselves to see whether they are in the faith and not to make his apparent failings an excuse for not doing what is in line with the truth (see 2 Cor 13:5-9)!

Many Christians look for a spiritual leader that they can follow. Once they find someone they admire, they begin to trust and follow that person. As they do so, they begin to follow his or her example and find security in having someone lead them who apparently has it all together. All is well until the image of a perfect spiritual leader is destroyed by the realisation and the fact that the leader has weaknesses and failings like every other human being. Sadly the pattern is often repeated and the "follower" looks for someone else they admire to lead them until they are let down again.

However, Jesus is the leader we are to follow because He is our Great Shepherd and the Truth by which we model our lives.

Imperfect leaders are not an excuse for believers to lower Christ's example of righteousness for their own lives!

The Life

Jesus is the Life. Jesus is the way to fullness of life. Jesus is the example of fullness of life and Jesus is the provider of fullness of life. The believer must go to Jesus to have life. He is the Source of living water. Jesus says,

"These are the Scriptures that testify about me, yet you refuse to come to me to have life." John 5:39,40

Jesus invites us to have fellowship with Him and to participate in Eternal Life. The words eternal life don't only refer to the duration of life but more importantly they refer to a quality of life, the substance of life that originates from God Himself in Christ. We are invited to drink deeply from the river of delights (Ps 36:8) and to be filled with life to the full! Our Shepherd enables us to come in and go out and find pasture. It is Christ Himself who empowers us to live the life He modelled. Hallelujah!

How about you?

So let me ask you:

• Do you trust in Jesus as the Way to life? 
• Do you look to Him as the Truth of how you should live? 
• Do you depend on Him for fullness of life?

Are you a leader?

Divine leadership

"Be holy, because I am holy." 1 Peter 1:16

God leads by example. Those who are called to leadership are called to lead by example. Just before the Lord Jesus went to the cross, he washed the disciples feet to teach His followers to lead by example just as He did. Jesus said to His disciples,

"I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you." John 13:15

Paul's leadership

The apostle Paul understood true leadership and wrote to the Corinthian church,

"Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ." 1 Corinthians 11:1

King David's leadership

King David also led by example. In the preparation for the building of the Temple, we read,

"And now, because of my devotion to the Temple of my God, I am giving all of my own private treasures of gold and silver to help in the construction." 1 Chron. 29:3

Subsequently, King David asks,

"Now then, who will follow my example and give offerings to the Lord today?" 1 Chron. 29:5

The first to respond were the leaders of Israel because King David modelled true leadership! We read,

"Then the family leaders, the leaders of the tribes of Israel, the generals and captains of the army, and the king's administrative officers all gave willingly." 1 Chron. 29:6

In response to the generosity of their leaders,

"The people rejoiced over the offerings, for they had given freely and wholeheartedly to the Lord, and King David was filled with joy." 1 Chron. 29:9

Leadership in secret and in public

God calls leaders to lead by example both in secret and in public. What we are in secret is what we truly are in public.

The apostle Paul and his companions led by example to encourage the church to be like them.

He writes,

"You know how we lived among you for your sake. You became imitators of us and of the Lord...And so you became a model to all the believers in Macedonia and Achaia." 1 Thess. 1:5-7

"You are witnesses, and so is God, of how holy, righteous and blameless we were among you who believed. For you know that we dealt with each of you as a father deals with his own children, encouraging, comforting and urging you to live lives worthy of Gd, who calls you into his kingdom and glory." 1 Thess. 2:10-12

Leadership means modelling a devoted life to Christ and His people.

A devoted life lives for God in secret and in public. The power for leadership comes from the integrity of devotion in secret and in public. A form of godliness, an external, public appearance of leadership will never influence and produce true followers of Christ.

Imitate Christ in the secret place

I am convinced that leadership begins in the secret place as the leader seeks the face of God to imitate Him (Eph. 3:24; 5:1). Those who try to lead in public without following Christ in secret will lead from themselves and not from Christ. They will lead to please man rather than to please Christ. Paul, however says,

"If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ." Gal. 1:10

Leaders, imitate Christ and lead by example, in secret and in public!

"Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ." 1 Cor. 11:1

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