I had a blast at Catalyst last week…the leadership environment was thick and I was able to learn so much just from “random” conversations that took place in the hallways.
However, the more I began to reflect on the conference the more I thought about leadership…and the dangers that are associated with it. Thus…this week I will be writing about four that will ALWAYS be on a leaders radar…and we must always be willing to fight against.
Danger #1 - Jealousy
Every leader, at some point along the way, will be tempted to be jealous—period.
Being a leader often means that we are out front…and when we see others get out in front of us many times the result is NOT celebration but frustration.
SO…we get jealous…but disguise that jealousy in conversations with other leaders as “concern.” (Which…if we were REALLY concerned with another person and/or ministry…wouldn’t we just talk to them rather than talk about them?)
Being jealous is an extreme danger because it is a sin rooted in a heart that refuses to give God thanks for all He has done…and instead focuses on what He is doing for others…and begins to covet. (Remember Saul became outraged when he was credited with thousands and David his tens of thousands…and that jealousy was the beginning of the end for him!)
I believe the last thing that God wants pastors to do is sit around the locker room and compare…unfortunately…come guys just can’t seem to snap out of that scenario. Their “chenis envy” (as my friend Los says) gets the best of them…and instead of focusing on reaching the world for Christ they begin interrogation tactics on ANY ministry that is seeing success in order that they can justify why they are so much better than the other guy!
How do we combat jealousy? Simple…two things…
#1 - Celebrate the success of others - seriously, when another church succeeds—CELEBRATE! The last thing the body of Christ needs is churches and leaders taking shots at one another and disguising it as “protecting the body” when it is really that leaders damaged ego because he perceives that the “glory may be fading!”
#2 - Don’t let yourself switch to negative mode automatically - One of the things that really drives me up the wall is when a church begins to experience some success and you begin a conversation about that particular church with another leader—who automatically begins to say things like…
- “Yeah…well, I know the real story going on there.”
- “I’m sure those salvation’s/baptisms aren’t real.”
- “All they do is steal ideas from other churches.”
I could go on…but you get the point.
I’ve got to be honest…there are people in the leadership world that I can’t have a conversation with anymore because they are always so negative when it comes to the success of other ministries and leaders. Folks…THAT is the result of a lethal combonation of insecurity AND pride!
Let me say it again…when someone else succeeds…CELEBRATE; after all, we play for the same COACH, we’re on the same team!
Because…if we don’t learn to celebrate success we may cease to see it because God knows our motives are not about “HE” or “we” but rather all about “me!”
One more thing…leaders…pride is DANGEROUS…and MUST be CONSTANTLY fought against by us BEGGING JESUS to give us a humble heart AND NEVER FORGETTING WHERE HE FOUND US AND HOW FAR HE HAS BROUGHT US!!! (I Corinthians 6:9-11 is a great reminder for me personally.) ONLY JESUS knows whether or not we have a heart that is both humble and fully His.