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!

According to my faith

I was reading in Matthew 9 today when I saw that Jesus healed according to other's faith.  Jesus healed a paralyzed man in Matthew 9:2 according to the faith of the men who brought him.  Jesus told a bleeding woman that her faith healed her in Matthew 9:22.  In Matthew 9:29 Jesus healed two blind men according to their faith.  I wonder how many miracles and answered prayers I've missed out on because I didn't trust God enough?

Just as you believed

A Roman Centurian came to Jesus to get Jesus to heal his servant in Matthew 8.  Jesus said that he would come and heal the servant but the Centurian told Jesus that he was a man under authority and Jesus did not need to come.  He trusted Jesus enough to heal his servant without even coming to his house.  Jesus was amazed at the man's faith.  How great it must be to amaze God.  Jesus told the man to go and his servant would be healed just as you believe it would.  I think what I find amazing that it seems like our faith has a part in the miracles of God.  So, I must have faith for God to do what I'm praying for.

Planning

I've always been an organized person.  I am rarely late for anything.  I feel I'm late if I'm on time.  I plan ahead.  I have multiple countdown apps on my mac mini, iPhone and iPad.  Since I read Atomic Habits  I've been doing things more consistently.  I set a timer every day to meditate and hear from God.  I've been making our bed and doing the dishes.  These are all to get in a habit.  I also started putting a timer every day to memorize scripture.  I was going to write about my Bible Study in Matthew 7 today, but as I memorized a verse from Proverbs I was hit over the head with something I need to confess and repent from.  Look at Proverbs 16:3

Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and he will establish your plans.

What stood out to me is that I've been committing my plans to God and wanting him to bless them.  What this says to me is that I'm to commit myself to God and He will show me the plans.  I've had it all backward. 

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. 

Be perfect

Jesus told those listening to Him in Matthew 4:48 to be perfect.  Is that even possible?  Not under our own power.  But the real meaning is to be complete and mature.  In James 1:4 says:

Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

So maybe in order to be mature, complete or perfect, we have to go through trials, difficult people, toxic environments, etc.

Let your light shine

I remember singing “This Little Light of Mine” as a little kid.  I never really thought about how much good theology there is in it.  In Matthew 5 Jesus tells the listeners to be salt and light.  Salt gives taste to food.  Without taste it is nasty.  Light of course lets us see in the darkness.  Jesus was called the light of the world.  Yet, he said in Matthew 5:14 that we are the light of the world.  He also said that our lives should shine so much that others may see your good works and that glorifies God.  Unless I’m reading this wrong, we should want people to see our good works.  Now if it glorifies us then it is arrogance.  But if it glorifies God, then it is light.