“Then the disciples came to Him and asked, ‘Do you realize you offended the Pharisees by what you just said?’ Jesus replied, ‘Every plant not planted by My heavenly Father will be uprooted, so ignore them. They are blind guides leading the blind, and if one blind person guides another, they will both fall into a ditch.’” (Matthew 15:12-14 NLT)
The term “leadership” isn’t used in the King James Version of the Bible but is illustrated in many ways in and through the teachings and actions of the Lord Jesus and many other men and women of His choosing. I think of men like Abraham, the “father of our faith,” Samuel and the many other Prophets who led nations, Esther, King David, Solomon, Hezekiah, and many more. What’s my point?
In the verses above Jesus clearly taught that those who profess to be leaders, who assume leadership because of education, ethnicity, or any other position of human origin by any means can be blind guides and to follow them is to put ourselves at risk.
Leadership is a quality Jesus possessed and freely shares with those who seek Him. Even the Great Commission is an example: “Go and make disciples of all the nations…And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” To me the clear implication of that command is: “Go in faith and I will guide you every step of the way.” Or another way to think about it: “Lead only as you are led by Me!” Fruit grows through those who stay connected to the Vine.
To the extent we lead out of our own wisdom, strength, ingenuity, or knowledge, to that extent we’ll fall flat on our faces, at least in terms of leading others to become more like Jesus. The only way to become more like Jesus is to be led by His Spirit. We cannot lead others in a God-honoring way unless and until we’re being led by the Spirit.
Seeking to lead out of the energy of the flesh is not only wrong, but also sinful. We can only effectively lead others to see Jesus more clearly, follow Him more nearly, and love Him more dearly if we ourselves are deeply committed to those things in our own life. We cannot lead others to places we haven’t been led by the Lord ourselves.
Yes, of course, He uses other godly men and women to show us the way, but ultimately everything we’re told to do in terms of our leadership, will first begin in prayer. Prayer opens avenues of learning that will come first from the Words of God in Holy Scripture, but also through the words of godly men and women, living and dead, who have heard His voice, and followed His commands.
George Müller was such a man, about whom I read when I was young in the Lord, a man so focused on the Lord he obeyed without question, trusting Him to do what He said He would do. The Lord prompted George to start an orphanage, though he had no money and no place to house children. The Lord provided everything he needed.
His only resource was the Lord Jesus and His only means of provision was prayer. He prayed in millions of dollars (in today’s currency) for the orphans and never asked anyone directly for money. He never took a salary in the last 68 years of his ministry, but trusted God to put in people’s hearts to send him what he needed. He never took out a loan or went into debt. And neither he nor the orphans were ever hungry. By God’s grace he was able to feed more than 10,000 orphans during his lifetime.
His leadership in love inspires and gives me hope that I can be more for Jesus than I ever imagined I could be. Are you a leader? Only if you’re being led by the Spirit to obey the commands of Jesus. How will you know if He wants you to lead? Ask Him!
Food for thought.
Blessings, Ed 😊
Walking With Jesus 