Good morning,
Now
that our election in America is getting closer, we are being flooded
with all kinds of information that is designed to get us to like one
candidate more than another. In this particular election we are also
facing all kinds of charges and counter charges that are designed to
make one person look bad and the other to look like someone we can
really trust. All this fighting for the right to lead, leads us to
decide we can’t trust anyone but ourselves. But what happens when we
try to do things our way? We have to get people to trust what we say or
they will stop us from doing things our way. Now we have another
problem. Getting my own way requires me to get people to like me so
that we will be free to lead them to think our way and stop thinking
their own way. The bottom line is that most of us lead lives controlled
by frustration, not freedom. When we leave God out of the planning
process, what we get is chaos, not freedom.
What the Lord taught
Paul and every other effective leader in the Bible was that they must
trust the Lord of Creation, not their ability to “lord it over” those
under their care. Since our present leadership training programs are
focused on being successful, not obedient to this unalterable standard
from God, we are set up right from the beginning for living out our
lives as failures no matter how right we feel in doing our work. When
we give people what they want, we assume that they are the ones who set
the standard for truth and living a life that pleases God. Human nature
has always been in rebellion to God and will never change. Giving
people what they want identifies us with them in their rebellion. What
God longs for from those he has called is that we will be models of who
he is and how he thinks. This requires us to rely on his Holy Spirit,
his Holy Word and his holy plan for living life God’s way. Will we
waste our lives serving people who are controlled by their sinful human
desires or will we invest our lives serving the God of Creation who
loves us with an eternal love? Lord, please help us to be faithful
servants, living for the joy of hearing your “Well done, good and
faithful servant.”
Galatians 1:10 Obviously, I’m not
trying to win the approval of people, but of God. If pleasing people
were my goal, I would not be Christ’s servant.
Roy Wisner
