Hostile Lands Require Humble Leaders
A leader can teach privately, but it’s pretty hard to lead privately! Leadership is a public and visible kind of work!
In times of persecution, those who are leaders make themselves vulnerable to attack by being visible in leadership.
Peter urges leaders not to shrink back but tells them to step forward and carry out their God-given calling in faith.
As Peter exhorts in this 💥fireworks💥 of a passage, shepherding requires the acting with an elder’s God-given authority which is not easy in times of persecution!
1 Peter 5:1-5.
“I have a special concern for you Church leaders! I know what it’s like to be a leader, in on Christ’s sufferings as well as the coming glory.
👉 Here’s my concern:👈
That you care for god’s flock with all the diligence of a shepherd. Not because you have to, but because you want to please god.
Not calculating what you can get out of it, but acting spontaneously.
Not bossily telling others what to do, but tenderly showing them the way.
When God, who is the best shepherd of all, comes out in the open with his rule, He’ll see that you’ve done it right and commend you lavishly.
🤔 and you who are younger must follow your leaders.
But all of you, leaders and followers alike, are to be down to earth with each other, for — God has had it with the proud!”
😲 Wow! Wow! Wow! Peter sure stirred it up didn’t he!?!
We all know that power corrupts, even those Christians in positions of authority!
This is why our LORD intensely rebuked the scribes and pharisees over their abuses of leadership in Matthew 23:33-34.
Jesus said this!
“You snakes! Reptilian sneaks! Frauds!
Do you think you can worm your way out of this?
Never have to pay the piper?
It’s on account of people like you that I send prophets and wise guides and scholars generation after generation — and generation after generation you treat them like dirt, greeting them with lynch mobs, hounding them with abuse.” (Matthew 23:33-34 MSG).
Peter even makes it more clear in the verses how elders should model authority by comparing the fleshly temptations leaders face, with the spiritual characteristics of leadership which were obvious in our lord, and should be shown in all humility by elders and all others who are called to walk in a measure of spiritual authority.
Folks!
➡️ Real leaders don’t crush others!
They do not use “Heavy and mysterious words”.
In order to show their “Superior” spirituality.
No!
They are humble, inclusive, honest, and lead by showing others just how to walk with holy hearts and simple obedience.
In His Shadow,
~ Mary Lindow ©
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” THE MESSENGER ” ~ Mary Lindow
www.marylindow.com
Global Prayer Rooms
Mary Lindow has a passion for encouraging others – all generations, careers or vocations to live expressing excellence through personal integrity, healthy accountability, and wise management of talents and skills. She’s a sought after keynote, inspirational, humorous speaker and teacher across the USA and internationally in Ministers & Spiritual leaders Conferences, and training seminars for various organizations.
Just beautiful. Thank you.
The Lord has a sword that shoots lightning (K. Basconi). https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=2474684689431932&set=pcb.2474681039432297&type=3&theater
Has the ‘church’ been a positive experience or a negative experience? It is difficult to say. My experiences with the Lord have always been positive. My experiences with the Lord have never been negative. I need to focus on unity with the Lord rather than disunity with the ‘church.’ It is not so much disunity with the church, it is disunity with darkness. It is humility with the Lord. Rick Joyner has written about the mantle of humility. There is an “apron of humility” in 1 Peter 5:5 (TPT). Before we judge people, we need to put on the mantle of humility. We don’t know about other people’s experiences. For example, I have an awl in my forehead. Could anyone cope better than I have? I would say that the thorns on the Lord’s head would be like having an awl in your forehead. Priscilla Van Sutphin has witnessed the awl. I scream in pain during the night after I have taken excessive medication. The Lord is the awl expert (Deut 15).
Gross darkness disappears as light reappears.
Shadows decrease as light increases. Thanks
Amen. Thanks. The “church” in general, is SO dysfunctional. I know cuz I’m a recovering dysfunction.
I was just reading earlier 2PT1.4. The part that jumps out at me in that verse is “being partakers (koinonia) in The Divine Nature” The word “being” is actually GINOMAI which means “becoming”. PTL! It is a PROCESS, a Divine process. If we do our part( the last part of the verse) and build our koinonia and love relationship with Him, His process can be accomplished. And thanks be to God for His Amazing Grace that inables us to continue in the faith that works through love!! God has His Shepherds and Leaders in Process in the Wilderness, and they are about to come forth, leaning on their Beloved, only, as terrible as an army with banners, to accomplish and complete His Great Plan and Harvest. Eph 4.11-16