If you are a leader you don’t need to tell people you are. You have either got it or not. If you have got it some will follow and some will hate you and rebel against you. Both mean you are a leader. If you have not got both in measure, at least at times, well you aren’t a leader in the Kingdom of God sense. It’s the bible way for all leaders, Old Testament and New.

Now, of course it goes without question that you ask God to show you if you have been an idiot and caused dissension by lack of love or sensitivity or wisdom, but having said that, if you want to be a leader a la bible, get over the fact that some folk will just not like you, and don’t keep complaining about it. Don’t lick your wounds and complain about injustice. Uncover the wounds in the presence of a wounded Saviour and Deliverer and Conqueror. He never told anyone of the depths of His suffering or harped on about how unjust everything had been. He left the justice of His cause in the hands of His Father. Allow Him to look at your wounds, the injustices you have met and suffered, and let Him bind them in His love and then get on with leading without referring to them publicly.

It is very boring when leaders talk about their hardships. Folk used to ask me to share a particular story of suffering: I did, but now I regret giving in to that pressure for a few years in a very repetitive way. There may be an odd occasion where we can speak about suffering for the gospel when that gospel is under threat, Paul did that after all,  but when leaders talk about such things for any other motivation some unfortunate things happen: they draw attention away from Christ to themselves which is unfortunate as they cannot really help anyone let alone save them; they usually hit the loyal and distress them; the rebels don’t hear the intended rebuke anyway, or if they do, they don’t feel any remorse: if anything, it is more likely to make them stiffen their necks even more.

Don’t try and do the Holy Spirit’s work of conviction for Him… He is better at that than you…. just get on with the “offscouring of the earth” calling to be a leader of God’s people and rejoice in all your losses for the sake of Christ.

God bless you if you are a leader. If you are not, then pray for those who are.

Kenny