Followers vs Leaders?

I have been devouring leadership books for the last 30 years.  The leadership industry is a billion dollar business.  We are taught to become leaders in school and in business.  This semester in my D.Min program I'm taking an Organizational Leadership class.  The professor introduced us to the concept of followership.  He even wrote a book called Followerfirst.  It has been amazing how God has used both semesters of my D.Min to break me and mold me.  Last semester I had to deal with relationship issues.  This semester my leadership box just got shattered.

We've been studying the importance of followers and leaders.  Obviously, you can't have a leader without followers.  John Maxwell has influenced my thinking for many years.  I am grateful for most of what I've learned.  But today, it hit me as I was praying and studying in Matthew 10.  God never told us to be leaders.  He told us to follow Him!  I'm not sure what the 2 Google Bots that read my blog think about hearing from God but I've heard God speak to me many times over the last 2 years specifically. 

Today, I heard God say the following things in prayer.  The Holy Spirit said to submit and be the best follower I can be.  He said that followers follow, they don't lead.  He said if you lead then I can't.  We both can't lead at the same time!  He told me to follow and let Him lead.  The problem in the world is we have way too many leaders and not enough followers.  He told me that I would lead but as a follower. Ouch!

Seeking

Seeking is a word that has been going through my head a lot over the last year.  I was taking the time to write down thoughts that I felt the Holy Spirit was giving me.  I was hit and miss on doing it though.  Then after reading Atomic Habits, I started scheduling 5 minutes to listen to God.  That may not seem like a long time but I've become consistent.  Anyway, I keep hearing in my time listening to seek.  Then in my Bible Study in Matthew 6 today, Jesus said that we are to seek first God's Kingdom and everything else will come.  This seems to be counter-culture.  We are taught to go after what we want.  Things only come to those who get it.  God is not telling us to be lazy.   In fact, I think God wants us to work hard.  But we work hard for him and He gives us all we need.  That makes no sense from a worldly point of view.  It is easy to worry.  I wish I could say I have it together but I don't.   But I have been seeking God more and more every day.  My prayer is as I seek, I will hear his voice more. 

Importance of Listening

I have had my life positively affected by some powerful messages by some dynamic speakers/pastors. I've been challenged and convicted by some dynamic messages. In fact it happened yesterday at church. I believe 2 Timothy 3:16 which says "All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness," (2 Timothy 3:16 ESV).  

As a young person I was told that the Sunday Sermon was for the congregation to be taught and take what was learned and practice it in the world.  But I noticed something different when I went to seminary.  Some were so convinced that the Sermon was the primary way to see life change.  Again, I've seen lives changed through powerful messages. I've known Preachers that that is all they did. They preached powerful messages but had no interaction with their congregation and especially non-churched.  But the non-Christians whose lives were changed through those messages had a relationship with someone who brought them to hear the message. 

If we believe that a Sunday message alone is going to change the world we are sadly mistaken. Preaching is important to believers and non-believers who are ready to hear the message.  But for someone who doesn't believe in God or the Bible than preaching to them and sharing verses without their permission will fall on deaf ears.  Actually it will fall on angry ears. 

This has become more apparent to me in the last few months.  With changes in our culture moving away from a Biblical Worldview some well meaning (and not well meaning) Christians blast Social Media and Talk Radio shows quoting Scripture about various social topics that bother them. To be honest those same social topics bother me.  A few years ago I probably would have been in the same group mentioned above.  But I have learned through my ministry that less preaching and more listening has given me more opportunities to share my faith.  In fact because I've learned to listen more and preach less people start pouring out their lives without me even asking.  This has given me numerous opportunities to share my Faith!

Let me be clear that Preaching is a necessary and valuable tool.  But in today's society we need to become more active in building relationships with people whom we don't always agree with.  We can't get so offended that we destroy any opportunity to minister.