Follow the Leader
Hold on! I think this is one of those devotions where I think I know where I’m going and expect God to correct me if needed. For as long as I remember, I have sought leadership opportunities. I think I’ve even shared with my grandmother asking me if I was going to be a doctor and replying that I wanted to become a teacher (leader of kids academically). That evolved into becoming an actuary and in the 30 some years I was in that occupation, most of them were in leadership positions.
Imagine my surprise when I found an article entitled “5 Myths about Being a Follower” by Joanne Jung and Richard Langer on Crossway.org. I had to read it. It started with how society downplays being a good follower by using descriptors like “sheep”, “passive”, “obedient”, “lemming” and “serf” to describe followers.
But that is secular thinking!
We follow God the father, Jesus Christ the son and The Holy Spirit with all our heart, mind, soul and strength to glorify God. What could be a higher calling or more important than that?
“And one of the scribes came up and heard them disputing with one another, and seeing that he answered them well, asked him, “Which commandment is the most important of all?” Jesus answered, “The most important is, ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” - Mark 12:28-31 ESV
But besides following God, we are instructed to submit to secular and church leaders.
“Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment.” - Romans 13:1-2
“We ask you, brothers, to respect those who labor among you and are over you in the Lord and admonish you, and to esteem them very highly in love because of their work. Be at peace among yourselves.” - 1 Thessalonians 5:12-13
The article states that successful organizations, including the church, share a commitment to a common mission by both the leaders and the followers. The same is true in regard to Christian families. A common mission of worshipping and glorifying God and disciple making makes the instruction about the husband being the head of the family (and the wife being the follower) an administrative function since the mission is the most important objective.
“Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit in everything to their husbands. Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish. In the same way husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself.” - Ephesians 5:22-28
One last, important, aspect from the article to share. I have always disliked the notion of being referred to as a sheep. My dad raised sheep, and I remember how dumb they were. The article points out that a lot of people have a similar type of concern, but we have it turned backwards. Good sheep need to be led and know their Sheppard’s voice and only follow the voice they trust. This is a level of intelligence and trust that only can occur from a discerning sheep and not a dumb animal.
“To him the gatekeeper opens. The sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. A stranger they will not follow, but they will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers.” - John 10:3-5
When you stop and think about it, it is comforting to know your goal is to follow God by being the best follower you can be.
“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”- Matthew 28:19-20
