In the last week alone I have received 5 brochures for various leadership conferences that will be meeting all over the country. These conferences promise to be “life changing”, “paradigm shifting”, “leadership demanded”, “dynamic”, “next generation”, “creative”, “culturally relevant” and “impactful”…… and I’m sure they will be.
As a matter of fact, I have been to several of these leadership conferences and to their credit they were very well done and professional. Yet I can’t help but ask myself (as I paradigm shift and become culturally relevant) …
WHERE IS THE:
- HUMILITY? – while the subject of humillty is sometimes addressed, it is usually seen purely as a way to ascend to the top. “Humble yourself in God’s sight and he will lift you up” (James 4:10, Romans 12:3) is not a promise that you will get the job, raise or promotion….. it is a promise that you will be pleased with whatever God decides to do with you. Primarily because you will be more interested in His promotion than your own.
- SUBMISSION TO AUTHORITY? A leader will often want this given to him/her but rarely wants to come under it. People submitting to us is easy….submitting to someone else is much harder. I wasted years of potential because God would not significantly use me until I understood that “Submitting to Authority” has little to do with value and much to do with structure. (2 Peter 3)
- LOYALTY? I don’t hear much about the fact that loyalty is not related to agreement…it is related to committment? (Psalm 78:8, 2 Timothy 1:6, 1 Chron. 29:18) I may not agree with those in authority over me however my committment to them dictates that I will support them (moral ethical or illegal difference not withstanding) My preferences are secondary to those over me. My choice is to stay and support or to leave… but I cannot stay and be subversive.
So many young ministers, airmen, middle managers, coaches, teachers, welders, plumbers, lawyers, Doctors, owners etc……. will save themselves bitterness and frustration if they could really take these three qualities and, instead of bristle against them…embrace them!
Wanna be irreplaceable? Try submitting to the AUTHORITY God has placed in your life. Do so with HUMILITY, SUBMISSION and OBEDIENCE!
I N T E N T I O N A L Marriage 
Brian Pindell
March 7, 2011 at 6:53 am
Thanks for bringing these to be top of my mind today! We love to read the promises God gives us, but not to do our part in practicing qualities including these important 3 below.
Being humble one of eleven conditions of answered prayer.
Part of transforming our minds and not conforming to this world.
Helps us in resisting the devil so he flees from us.
Not submitting to authority equates one to being scoffers walking after their own lusts.
Loyalty (commitment) seems to be a purpose of the Mosaic Law
Could possibly be an ingredient in checking fear with power, love and a sound mind?