{"id":9742,"date":"2022-02-21T19:12:46","date_gmt":"2022-02-21T23:12:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/regaldaughtersofgod.com\/?p=9742"},"modified":"2022-08-10T11:52:52","modified_gmt":"2022-08-10T15:52:52","slug":"languishing-leadership","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/regaldaughtersofgod.com\/bible-believing-daughters\/languishing-leadership\/","title":{"rendered":"219. LANGUISHING LEADERSHIP"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
(The Information & Edification Series – Batch 4)<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n For the past few weeks, if not months, I’ve been hearing the topic of leadership (as it pertains to Churches), being raised, over and over again, from different Christian preachers and teachers, in different forums. When I heard it again for what seemed like the umpteenth time, on the Harbour Light Radio and again on the weekly Monday night zoom meeting that I attend and then again through other Christian mediums, I wondered to myself (as I often do when the Lord seems to be raising a topic repeatedly), why the issue of leadership was coming to my attention so frequently and why I kept hearing about it so often lately. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Did God want me to write about it? I wasn’t sure. <\/p>\n\n\n\n When it comes to Articles, I don’t usually just write material for writing sake or because I know a topic to be important. What I do, is that I usually wait until God places something on my heart to write, as when he does, the issue burns so much in my heart and I am flooded with so much that I want to write, that I usually have to drop whatever I’m doing, find my computer and start typing, just in case I forget certain salient points that come to mind.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When the Lord wants me to write on a topic, he usually gives me the passion to write it and guides me through the process, so that I usually write quickly and effortlessly, not really in my own might or power but by the help of his spirit, the information coming to my mind sometimes even quicker than I can type. As I type, the Spirit also brings to my recollection, key verses that are applicable to the points raised and thankfully, given that I don’t generally know exactly where the scripture <\/p>\n\n\n\n I didn’t really feel called to write about leadership and I generally stay clear from topics that, even if important, I don’t feel that God has led me to write about. I know that he has other Christian soldiers on the field and therefore, that he has led other people to write on the topics that he has not called me to write on and even on some that he has called me to write on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I therefore forgot about the whole leadership issue, until it came up again at a Christian meeting that I attended on 17th February, 2022. Although I didn’t feel led in those moments prior to write an Article on leadership and so refrained from doing so, when I heard the issue raised again at that forum, after I left and went home, the issue burned on my heart and immediately, the term ‘languishing leadership’ came to mind. <\/p>\n\n\n\n I knew then, that I would most likely end up writing something about it with this very topic but waited until God provided guidance and the drive to write, as he usually does. Needless to say, a few days later, as I read the Word of God in my morning devotions, the very last verse of the very last chapter in Judges (which I happened to randomly turn to and read that morning), stood out in such a way to me, that I knew exactly what I needed to write on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The verse read:<\/p>\n\n\n\n “In those days there was no king in Israel: every man did that which was right in his own eyes.” <\/em>(Judges 21:25)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n I had a general idea what I would write on but I did not get to it right away. For some reason, I was still reluctant. However, shortly thereafter, while doing something else, the issue of leadership came to my mind again, along with the topic. I decided to stop what I was doing, opened up a page and started to type. I intended to just put points down and return at a later time to write but as has happened with many of the Articles on this page, the few points quickly turned into an entire Article. Before I knew it, the Article was written with the exception of a few areas that needed tweaking and fine-tuning. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The sub-headings of the Article (below) are as follows:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Except for some paragraphs that I’ve subsequently added and tweaks that I’ve made here and there, this is what I wrote:<\/p>\n\n\n\n LANGUISHING LEADERSHIP<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n (I) INTRODUCTION<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n If you have a poor leader in the home,<\/strong> it affects everybody in that home. If you have poor leaders in a nation, it affects everybody in that nation. If you have poor leadership in the Church, it affects all the members who attend that Church and undermines the impact that that Church could have had otherwise, on society, for the furtherance of God’s Kingdom agenda.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In the scriptures, bad leadership of nations<\/strong>, like Israel, for example, led to people being affected and sometimes, even completely wiped out. When Israel and Judah had ungodly Kings for example, like Ahab and Manasseh, they made unwise and ungodly decisions and often times, the people were led astray, turned away from God, embraced idolatry and ultimately were punished by God.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The bad leadership of Nabal<\/strong>, almost resulted in his whole household, including his servants being wiped out by David, had Abigail, his wife, a woman of good understanding, not intervened. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Poor leaders over the daughters of Lot, who were married to ungodly men from Sodom and Gomorrah<\/strong>, led to the destruction of those men, along with those daughters of Lot. For, although their husbands received warning in advance of pending judgment and were given the opportunity to flee, in unbelief, they laughed at Lot their father-in-law and chose to remain in Sodom and Gomorrah, to the detriment of themselves and the daughters of Lot who were married to them. Only Lot, his wife (who subsequently turned into a pillar of salt because she looked back while fleeing) and his unmarried daughters, escaped.<\/p>\n\n\n\n There is also the question of whether Lot himself demonstrated poor leadership<\/strong>, in choosing to make his abode and set up his family in an ungodly place like Sodom and Gomorrah, simply because he saw that it was well-watered and therefore seemed like a place to thrive and prosper.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As a result of Aaron’s poor leadership <\/strong>(although he was quite articulate), when Moses was regarded by the Israelites as taking too long to return from the mount where he had gone to spend time with God, he gave in to the sinful demands of the people and made them an idol to worship (Exodus 32:1-6). If nothing else, this demonstrates that being eloquent and articulate and having the ability to charm people with one’s speech, does not necessarily equate with good leadership. <\/p>\n\n\n\n As a result of Eli’s poor leadership in his home<\/strong>, although he occupied the position of priest over Israel, he did not properly order his house aright like the Lord prophesied that Abraham would do. Instead, he put his love for his sons, who did not know God and had no relationship with him, ahead of God’s honour, allowing them to do as they pleased, although he knew that their actions dishonoured God. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The Word of God in 1 Timothy 3:5 rings true in this circumstance, where it states, “(For if a man know not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the church of God?)”<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n As a result of Eli’s poor leadership over his family, God brought judgment on his entire house.<\/p>\n\n\n\n By contrast, in Genesis 18:19, God prophesied of Abraham, who he had purposed to make a great nation out of, that he would exercise good leadership. In words of commendation, God stated: “For I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the Lord, to do justice and judgment.”<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n These examples of men in the Bible, who (with the exception of Abraham), exhibited poor leadership, highlight the fact that:<\/p>\n\n\n\n The issue of putting people into leadership, whether at the family, national or Church level is very important, as poor or bad leadership, affects everyone under that leadership and yields adverse consequences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Leadership is poor, bad, non-existent or illegitimate for example:<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n (II) LEADERSHIP IN THE CHURCHES<\/strong> TODAY<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Today in particular, leadership languishes in many Churches and in purported ‘Christian congregations’ because the leadership includes or completely consists of people who were not authorized or called by God to be in those positions from the start or it consists of or includes persons that have deviated from their intimate walk with the Lord or people who have agreed to help out informally here and there with the leadership responsibilities but have not been officially appointed to the position, therefore resulting in a de facto sort of casual arrangement, meaning that the Church is completely devoid of any proper leadership, the person or persons merely sort of ‘acting’ in the position, to get the needful done.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In all of the above such cases, there is languishing leadership because the leadership is poor, bad, non-existent or the arrangement is illegitimate (as it has not been sanctioned by God). <\/p>\n\n\n\n Illegitimate, bad, poor or even non-existent leadership in a Church includes:<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n (III) HOW POOR, BAD, ILLEGITIMATE OR NON-EXISTENT LEADERSHIP IMPACTS ON THE<\/strong> CHURCH<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Weak leadership is one of the reasons why we have so many weak Churches today. Too many persons at the helm are ill-qualified (according to the scriptures) for the positions they hold and therefore, produce weak results.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Let’s get real. You can’t expect to churn out a strong, spiritually mature congregation, if the leadership is not spiritually mature. Lukewarm leadership generally breeds lukewarm people in the pews. <\/p>\n\n\n\n While de facto, informal leaders (who may or may not meet the biblical criteria for leadership) may be necessary as a temporary measure when a gap suddenly arises in leadership, it becomes a problem, when this arrangement continues on indefinitely as the norm, as without proper and clearly designated leadership (as is required by the Word of God), the Church is practically directionless.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Where there is no leadership or no effective leadership because those formally in the position are poor or bad leaders or downright illegitimate because they have occupied positions that they are not authorized or called by God to occupy, it results in a hold host of problems within the congregation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For starters, the people are like sheep without a shepherd, wandering mindlessly about without any proper direction and guidance, there is no proper accountability, many feel free to do whatever they please, systems that may have been in place are left in ruins, fall down or are disregarded, nobody guards the gates and so satan’s minions creep in unawares, wreaking havoc with the flock, errors are introduced into doctrine, subtly at first but then brazenly and the Church operates aimlessly without a proper, biblical endorsed vision.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In Judges 21:25, it tells us that when there was no leadership, the people of Israel did whatever they thought was right in their own eyes. For, there was no earthly leader to guide, to teach the right way and for them to account to. The scripture states that, “In those days there was no king in Israel<\/strong>: every man did that which was right in his own eyes.”<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n In Matthew 24:43, Jesus stated, “But know this, that if the goodman of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up.” <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Imagine a situation therefore, where those in leadership positions are not watchful or not as watchful as they ought to be or even where a Church is without a ‘goodman’ occupying the fort! That will be a Church merely going through the motions when gathered collectively and a Church that is vulnerable, exposed and lay bare to the enemy’s attacks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Weak leadership produces for the most part, weak people. Poor leadership results in a situation where people don’t feel pushed or provoked in love to grow, to improve, to let go of the status quo or to advance spiritually but are complacent, in a lull, asleep (instead of being watchful and alert), content to remain babes or carnal with a worldly view and preoccupation and even unsaved, given that there are people within the pews that have sometimes never truly accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as Saviour. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The people are content to remain the same because they don’t see an example they can emulate in the leadership and they don’t feel driven or challenged by the soundness and depth of the Word delivered and the integrity, faithfulness, sincerity and passion in which it is brought forth, to change, to grow, to step up and to move forward in the knowledge of the Lord and his grace because that is the direction that the Church is generally being pushed and moving towards. <\/p>\n\n\n\n This is a tragedy. When the Church’s culture becomes passive because the leadership is passive, this is a tragedy. Yet, if there is no passion from the helm, then there will be no push. It is required that leadership, although not perfect, be the example that people can emulate. In 1 Corinthians 11:1, Paul instructed the Church at Corinth to “Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ.”<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n People want to see the leadership making the effort to live right in the sight of God and to be a good example, not just when at Church but wherever they are including at home. They want to see and know that the leadership is an authority, not just in terms of the position they occupy but in terms of their knowledge of the Lord and the extent to which they obey him. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Although the leadership will not be perfect, will make mistakes and have flaws like every one else and that is perfectly understandable, people want to see that the leadership is sincere, humble, takes the role of leadership seriously and is committed to the call because first and foremost, they are committed in their own Christian walk.<\/p>\n\n\n\n To push a congregation forward and upward in the Lord, one needs to be passionate and to take his own spiritual growth seriously. The mentality of a cavalier, lukewarm, absent-minded, ‘anything goes’ leader (or leaders), eventually trickles down into the congregation, resulting in many of the people being just like him (or them). Also, if the leadership is blind, in that it lacks spiritual foresight and discernment because the leaders have failed to exercise this, many in the congregation will also adopt similar blindness. It is a typical case of the blind leading the blind and so both fall into the ditch. It is a typical case of the leader having no vision and so, the people perish (Proverbs 29:18).<\/p>\n\n\n\n In Matthew 15:14, of the Pharisees, who Jesus adjudged as bad leaders, he stated, “…Every plant, which my heavenly Father hath not planted, shall be rooted up. <\/sup>Let them alone: they be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch.”<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n If a leader lacks discernment and spiritual maturity, he will also not have a clue how to pray for the people as individuals in the congregation. The people will be burdened with serious issues of life which threaten their faith walk and he will not know it. Apart from what may be rumoured, he will not have the least inkling of same and be completely clueless. The people will then feel neglected, unloved, uncared for, unattended to and unseen. <\/p>\n\n\n\n If he has not a clue in his own life experience about the reality and realness of spiritual attacks, spiritual warfare and how to use the spiritual weapons that God has provided to fight it, him never being victorious in this in his own life and maybe because he has never really experienced the enemy’s aggressive attacks because he is not considered to be a threat, he will not be in a position to teach it to the congregation, other than merely regurgitating the verses he reads in the Word and giving a comment here and there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For those that go to him and share their problems, many will still go away dissatisfied, as he lacked the wherewithal and wisdom, to properly counsel them with any depth from relevant portions of God’s Word and to know through the application of wisdom, what should be done practically in that situation. <\/p>\n\n\n\n If the leader does not effectively COMMUNICATE, is not CONSIDERATE about others, lacks COMPASSION and does not really CARE about the congregation, then his leadership will not be good leadership. <\/p>\n\n\n\n In Hebrews 13:16, believers were told “…to do good and to COMMUNICATE forget not: for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.”<\/em>. This therefore also applies to the leadership, given that leaders are supposed to be believers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n On consideration, Hebrews 10:24 states, “And let us CONSIDER one another to provoke unto love and to good works.” <\/em>Romans 15:1 states, “We then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves.”<\/em> Philippians 2:4-5 also reads, “<\/sup>Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others.Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus”<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When it came to compassion, Jesus was compassionate, as many scriptures attest. Following after his perfect example, 1 Peter 3:8 tells believers (and therefore, includes leaders), “Finally, be ye all of one mind, having COMPASSION one of another, love as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous”<\/em> Galatians 6:2 also states, “Bear ye one another\u2019s burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ.”<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Caring to the point of having bowels of compassion for others is so important to leadership, that the Lord often refers to spiritual leaders as ‘shepherds’ and the congregation the ‘sheep’ or the ‘flock’. I believe he does it to convey the need for the congregation to be protected by leaders that guard them well and leaders will not feel driven to protect those within their fold unless they genuinely care, love and have deep concern for them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If a leader lacks COURAGE, then his would also be a failed leadership. In Joshua 1:9, after Moses had died, God spoke to Joshua, as the new leader of the children of Israel, telling him, \u201cHave not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good COURAGE; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n If a leader has no backbone, then he will be cultivating only spineless jellyfish but if he is a bully, the atmosphere will be tense and the congregation full of scared or fearful people. Him being regarded as unapproachable and not knowing how to lead in love, people would keep their issues to themselves or go elsewhere for help. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The same holds true if the leader lacks self-control, feels the need to blurt out everything that comes to his mind without restraint, is a railer, loves drama, strife or is a gossiper and therefore cannot keep what he has been told, confidential, on those occasions when confidentiality is important. People will assess him quickly as a man that cannot be trusted and will not go to him with their problems, some of which may be of a sensitive nature.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Finally, if the leader is downright wicked, he will find ways to afflict the congregation, much like Pharaoh did to the Israelites when they were in Egypt. He will exact from them, that which is unreasonable (be this in the form of finances or otherwise) and abuse his position. If he is there to serve himself, he will surely look for ways and means to ensure that this is achieved, even if it means deceiving the congregation, making false promises, telling them what they want to hear and guilting them through great swelling words, of vanity, to do his bidding (2 Peter 2:18).<\/p>\n\n\n\n (IV) WHAT THE WORD OF GOD SAYS ABOUT BAD, POOR, NON-EXISTENT OR ILLEGITIMATE LEADERSHIP <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n When it comes to a lack of leadership or poor, ineffective, illegitimate, bad or downright wicked leadership, whatever the level, the Word of God (including Jesus who is the Word of God), has much to say, including some of the consequences that will flow as a result.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For example, the Word of God states:<\/p>\n\n\n\n (V) BIBLICAL REQUIREMENTS FOR GOOD, EFFECTIVE, GOD-APPROVED LEADERSHIP IN THE CHURCH<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n While the Word of God frowns upon and condemns bad, non-existent, illegitimate or poor leadership, God has faithfully allowed us to have a list of characteristics or traits that should exist in a man (not a woman), so as to make him eligible for a leadership position in the Church.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Based on the criteria or list of requirements provided, it is clear that God takes the issue of leadership of his Church (the flock) very seriously. It is therefore not intended for the faint-hearted or those who know within themselves that they are not eligible, based on their level of spiritual maturity and are therefore not called by God to take up such a position. <\/p>\n\n\n\n In particular, one of the main criteria expressed repeatedly, is that a person occupying the leadership position of Elder\/Pastor must have a knack, ability or be inclined to teach the Word of God and therefore, a passion or desire to do so. If a man knows within himself that he does not enjoy doing this and is not skilful in the study of God’s Word and its exposition but regards teaching as more of a duty or a routine and not with excitement but as even a bore or is incapable by reason of his own spiritual immaturity, to delve into and teach deep matters in God’s Word, he should not offer himself for the position. For, one of the main requirements of persons occupying such a position is that they take the Word of God seriously, that they know or are versed in the Word of God and therefore are in a position to teach it and consider it their number one responsibility (which they are passionate about), to feed the people of God (the flock) with the Word. <\/p>\n\n\n\n This does not require earthly degrees of any kind or earthly intelligence and brilliance. It simply requires a humble, spirit-led person, who has devoted his life to growing the knowledge and grace of God, applies himself to quality studying of God’s Word and who God has given a proclivity to teach.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If a person has a cavalier, laid-back approach when it comes to feeding people with God’s Word or just wants to give them milk but to avoid the weighty teachings (meat) because they are too deep for his own understanding or will require too much study to understand, then he has no business offering himself for the position.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Paul lamented the fact that, although he had the capability and desire to teach the Church at Corinth weightier (meat) matters in God’s Word, he could not at that time and could only continue to give them milk (light teachings) because they had not grown sufficiently spiritually and therefore, could not benefit. <\/p>\n\n\n\n He stated:<\/p>\n\n\n\n