Sunday, September 20, 2009

Don't Mess With the Bride

The question today from the 20 questions for leaders that Michael Smith of ClearView Baptist Church in Franklin, Tennessee asked Mike Hyatt is What advice would you give someone going into a leadership position for the first time?

Remember your place. In particular with ministers in a church, I would remind them that the Lord's people are like his sheep and leaders are only the undershepherds watching out for them. When someone hires you to watch his sheep, he is more concerned about the sheep than he is about you. We might also remember that the church is the Lord's Bride.

I don't remember Dad getting upset about much of anything when I was growing up. O, I got my fair share of spankings, put I don't remember him being angry. But I do remember one time when I was a teenager that I said something I shouldn't have to Mom. I may have called her a name, but I don't think that was it. Dad and I were going to go somewhere. I remember having a conversation on the way. It was about as close to Dad being angry with me as I can remember. I could tell he was upset. He made it very clear to me that I needed to apologize. I don't recall apologizing to my mother for much of anything, but I did that time, because you don't mess with a man's bride, no matter who you are.

There's something to be said for applying the same principle to all forms of leadership. You might think you are something special because you are in charge, but guess what, you are nothing compared to the collective importance of the people you lead. You don't mess with them. You don't cause them undue harm or pain. If you do, you you're asking for trouble because you might be messing with some man's bride.

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