Are You Listening?
July 29, 2007God loves His people so fiercely. One cannot read Ezekiel 34 without deeply feeling the passion of God for His people. When you understand the depth of the love of God, you understand why God is so serious about leadership.
But God is really, really gracious. He doesn’t typically come and personally stomp out bad leadership and as a matter of fact, He ususally doesn’t seem to do anything directly at all. The reason is, just like He doesn’t dive in and feed the poor and pray for the sick but leaves that to His people to do, He calls faithful people to speak truth to power, on His behalf.
Pretty hard to do. Easier, isn’t it, to complain and ask “why doesn’t somebody do something”? Easier still to just look the other way. Difficult, it is, to pray fervently until the loving heart of God has so consumed you that you can speak the truth and give someone the opportunity to hear the Word of the Lord. This is God’s mercy on leadership, to send such people. So when they come your way, it’s wisdom to listen very carefully, and listen as though Christ Himself had come to you. The fact that a lightening bolt has not hit you today is not necessarily a sign that everything is hunky dory, and why wait until that’s all God can do about you?
Talk about a word in season!!! I’m listening.
Very interesting thoughts. I find leadership not always very open in my past life. I do think they especially need to listen and see if God’s voice isn’t in it, when there’s a pattern of these kind of folks speaking to them, and often eventually leaving. Alot of discernment needed.
Great thoughts, Susan. Thanks.
Susan,
Thanks for the powerful thoughts. Leaders have so much responsibility. I grew up in a church where the pastor caused the church to split by a sermon against the belief of hell. Tons of the people that had helped me grow in my faith left the church, instead of holding the leadership accountable. It was a sad situation and the church has never fully recovered. Thanks for this reminder!
Susan,
I am glad that Bill pointed me in your direction. I have skimmed some previous posts, and I really appreciate your point of view. I look forward to reading more of your thoughts and ideas.
Bill, Ted, Mike, GIG, Grace,…thank you so much for visiting, reading, and commenting. Grace, I just added you to my blogroll last week as I’ve felt the same about your blog, and I’m reading…
Susan,
With all your life experience, I truly appreciate how you still love the church passionately. Your prophetic voice is one filled with grace and mercy. Thanks!
it’s been easier to just go away, Susan — to a place where there are no leaders because there’s no power. i don’t know if that’s a good thing. it is a real thing.
Jim,
Leadership is a gift – charis – from God. See Romans 12:4-8. So I’m thinking this is not a good thing… ?