It sounded just a bit patronizing, but we were ready for help. After a few questions we realized that he was talking about:
- Leading our churches forward as shepherds who were experiencing close, tight, soul-satisfying personal relationships with Christ,
- Leading our “sheep” with a profound realization of our own “sheepishness:” our foolishness, weakness and sinfulness,
- Leading our congregations with a healthy skepticism for the latest trends in church ministry,
- Proposing initiatives to our leadership teams with humility: “I’m sensing that this is the direction in which the Holy Spirit wants us to go. What do you think?”
I’ve not always led by following. Sometimes I’ve gotten way ahead or far behind the Good Shepherd. Other times I’ve blabbered away (like Peter) about the latest tabernacle we should put up when I should have been simply listening.
But I think I’ve gotten it right at times and from what I have seen and heard, there seem to be some advantages to leading by following:
- Leading by following puts the right One in charge of our ministries.
We get to help, but it’s still basically Jesus who is building His Church (Matthew 16:18). He is the head over everything for the Church (Ephesians 1:22). He is the one who will evaluate the work done by the human leaders of the Church (I Corinthians 4:5).
I am a big believer in scooping up all the human wisdom I can get. The Book Of Proverbs commends this. I read books on leadership, church health, church revitalization, etc. I thank God for all the giants whose shoulders I get to stand on.
But I also see in the Book Of Acts a Church which was directed – every day – by the Holy Spirit Himself. He told people where to go, what to do and what to say. The greatest Apostles were not averse to His mid-course corrections. Should I be?
- Leading by following takes the pressure off the under-shepherd.
In Matthew 11:28-30, Jesus promised a rest which would come from humility and meekness. Have we traded this in for the kudos that come from pride and willfulness? Have we decided that we’d rather “do it our way” so that we can get the praise when “our way” succeeds?
It won’t get you any book contracts to tell a leadership team that you’re not going to share a dramatic new vision because – quite frankly – you haven’t yet received one.
If you suggest to a leadership team (as above) that you believe that the Holy Spirit is leading your congregation in a particular direction, there will be rest, not stress, if the board’s answer to you is “We’re not sure about this yet.”
- Leading by following forces us to our knees. I’ve heard all the arguments from all sides on the question of decision making and knowing the will of God. I don’t think I need God to select my new car or my next house or my next pair of jeans.
But I sure want God to choose my next ministry or my next big ministry initiative and that drives me to prayer, and that is always a good thing, for prayer constantly reminds me of my smallness and my neediness.
The Lord is my shepherd. He leads me. It’s the only way I want to lead others.
