AACS World Wide Web Pages
Lead with Humility | Follow with Humility | Trust with Humility | Be a Team Player
A friend of mine is into power and authority. He wears a "power" shirt and "power" tie with his "power" suit (colors that assert power and give a visual message of strength). He "does" lunch in trendy places with people who support his authority. His leadership style is one of "authority" -- no compromising.
Is humility the same as being passive or weak? No, humility is a strength. Almost anyone can misuse power and dominate others. We require real spirit -- strength to lead or to follow another person with humility. Leaders who exercise humility are alert to how "the world" works and are quick to claim God as their source of strength. God calls us to relate to one another (and to Him) with humility.
Lead with Humility
Does this agree with Biblical ideas on relationships and leadership? Perhaps a better word than "power" is the word "humility." Humility is the quality of being humble, not arrogant or proud.
1 Peter 5:
1. The elders which are among you I exhort, who am also an elder, and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed:
2. Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind;
3. Neither as being lords over God's heritage, but being examples to the flock.
4. And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away.
One of the most awesome responsibilities in life is that of leadership. Assuming a leader's role in any realm of life gives many people cold shivers up and down their spines, for leadership includes responsibility and accountability. The weight of leadership is especially great because of the econsequences of the leader's actions. Does the Bible include information that can help equip and guide all leaders? Yes, it certainly does.
Peter wrote 1 Peter 5:1-4 for people who find themselves in places of church leadership, but his advice could apply to all leaders. They may either be elected leaders or looked to as informal leaders. Peter wrote to exhort (encourage) and advise "elders" (church leaders). Peter claimed the right to advise these early church leaders because... 1) he himself was one, 2) he was an eyewitness of Christ's sufferings in our behalf, 3) and he had a personal relationship with Christ that assured him of the glory that would be Christ's at His second coming. Peter would assert that leading with humility can grow from the power and presence of Christ in one's life, not just by virtue of one's personal skills or strengths.
Being a leader is not a call to dominate or command others in the one's organization or family. It is a call to help them grow and mature by meeting their needs. So Peter wrote, "Feed the flock." Leading with humility involves spending time with people, discovering what they need, and making it available to them. You have heard the old saying, "You can lead a horse to water but you can't make it drink." Likewise, leaders expose people to what they need but understand that leaders cannot force them to accept it. Peter would also assert that humble leaders can be tremendous a vehicle for God's love to shine through their lives.
Leaders serving with humility lead "willingly." They do not feel as though they must serve ("constraint") or lead people in order to become rich ("filthy lucre"). They are eager to serve God ("ready mind") in any way He chooses. How humbling to have God call one to serve in an area He has chosen, and then to have Him equip that person for service. Again, humility helps us all keep our perspective on what is our place and what is His place.
Christ gave the perfect example of one who leads through serving. Christ surely expects us to provide the same kind of example. Christ-like leaders are people that set an example ("examples to the flock") for the rest of God's people. Jesus did not and surely does not want His followers who are serving as temporal leaders to be dictators, acting as lords over His people. Leading with humility includes never treating people as though they are in any way inferior.
God calls and equips different people to lead in various ways. Humility is the standard for all believers, including those in leadership positions. That means we are to lead because our desire is to serve and to set examples by helping others grow. Our reward is not power or authority, but rather the approval of God now ... and when He returns. Do you believe that is the greatest reward possible for leading? If so, you may be leading with humility.
1 Peter 5:
5. Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility; for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble.
6. Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time:
7. Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.
Not every person is a leader. Just as some are great leaders, others are great followers. Many women and men are fantastic at serving -- but God has not called them to lead.
These go-getters simply get the work done.
Do you have the same problem I do? I really have to work at being a follower. Sometimes I have a tendency to jump in and take over, even when someone else is in charge. Are you the same way -- a "born leader," zealous to get the task done and done right? Maybe you resent the leader or the leader's attitude. Perhaps you feel the leader moves too fast or too slow. Sometimes following is as difficult as leading.
The Bible also gives us some words of guidance about following with humility. In I Peter 5:5, Peter told the younger members to submit themselves to the leadership of the elder members. "Elder" here may refer to their ages, or it may refer to the spiritually mature. In either case, older people often have had more experience in dealing with difficult matters and life in general. Young believers do well to hear and heed the counsel of their elders. This requires humility.
Not only are the younger to submit to the older, but the older are to submit to the younger: all of you be subject one to another. Some older people have the experience and the ability to see long-term effects, while some younger people are able to take risks, to "step out in faith," and perhaps to become more physically involved in some instances. Younger and older people balance and challenge one another when they are clothed with humility in the way they relate to one another.
An organization or family is in trouble when younger and older members take sides against one another. When that is the case, pride rather than humility is driving their behavior. God wants every person in an organization and family to listen to, respect, honor, and love one another. A real problem exists when one group ignores the needs and rights of another. God's people are not to elevate themselves by placing rights or needs above those of others. "God resisteth the proud;" He takes a strong stand against any action that divides His people. "God giveth grace" or blesses his people that willingly submit to one another. Does the last part of 5:5 mean the blessings of God are not on His people when they refuse to work together in harmony? That question is certainly worthy of much care and thoughtful consideration.
Being a follower is not always easy. At times we especially want our own way, or we don't want to follow a certain leader, or we feel someone is too young or too old to lead. We know God requires us to submit not only to mature leaders, but also to submit to one another and to meet one anothers' needs. We are to exercise humility and resist promoting ourselves if we expect God to approve of us.
How do we grow in humility? The only way is this: "Humble yourselves therefore under…God". We are to submit ourselves to Him. To walk in humility and follow another is not a natural ability but a God-given ability. We depend on and trust in God's mighty hand to teach us humbleness. When God is ready to elevate and promote us, He will exalt us in due time.
Are you afraid you can't measure up, that you will fail when you operate in humility? Don't be! If we were to put the thought of I Peter 5:7 in modern language, it might read, Don't worry -- give your fears and worries to God, because He cares enough to take care of you, even when He is teaching you a hard lesson. Living with humility means following with humility, and God is willing to help us.
My wife and I have three daughters, and I clearly remember their going through the "terrible two's." When they were between one and three years of age, their favorite phrase (other than "No!") was, "I can do it myself!"
That sort of thinking can spill over into our adult lives. Somehow, we can find ourselves with an attitude of strong-willed "independence." Even if we do not say the words, our actions may say, I can handle this situation. Why don't You go help someone that really needs help? When we close the door on others' help -- and God's, we open the door to Satan's wiles in our life. Living in humility means trusting and depending on God (and each other) daily.
Some of us need to rethink their view of Satan. He is not the "bogeyman," or a clown in red pajamas. He doesn't even use a pitchfork or have horns. We have even minimized him further by naming food after him -- devil's food cake and deviled ham.
The problem of self-sufficient Christians apparently existed in Peter's day, too. With the words Be sober, He reminded his readers to approach life seriously and not to allow pride to open the door to our ruin. When we let their guard down by failing to rely humbly on God and each other, we are extremely weakened and vulnerable. We must always be vigilant to watch for areas of our lives in which we have stopped seeking others' input and support as well as God's direction and control. Those are times open "avenues of attack for the devil."
1 Peter 5:
8. Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:
9. Whom resist steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethen that are in the world.
10. But the God of all grace, who hath called us into his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you.
11. To him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.
His nature is that of a "roaring lion" searching for prey; he is our adversary, the one that stands against us. The word "devil" in I Peter 5:8 means "slanderer." He speaks against us and accuses us, at times, as being evil and unworthy, and other times as being self-sufficient. He is always looking for careless, cocky, and self-confident people whose usefulness he can destroy.
How do we defeat such a mighty enemy? We don't. God does that in His own time. We do resist our enemy, though, by depending on God's Spirit and power working in us. We are not sufficient in ourselves. God commands us to be steadfast in our faith, to continue living and working in faithful obedience to His Word. God loves all His children and expects all of us to resist the devil and to steadily "fight the good fight." We are not alone in the conflict. We know that the same afflictions are faced by all that are in the world. None are exempt from the battle.
Living in humility is at the same time difficult and easy. It is difficult because we must deny our own wants and likes, valuing the needs of others as greater than our own. It is difficult in that pride resists yielding to another's authority and being a team player rather than being a star. We find difficulty in admitting we aren't self-sufficient, that we really need God (and each other) daily.
Living in humility is easy when we have our priorities straight, putting the first emphasis on God. He directs; He leads; He controls. While we ourselves must resist pride, God is our ultimate source of strength and victory. He is the One who will make us perfect or complete, who will stablish us or make our faith unshakable, who will strengthen us for the battles of each day, and who will keep us on a firm foundation. Can we do any of that on our own?
Living in humility emphasizes God and what He is able to do in us and through each of us. That is enough to make a person sing and praise -- which is exactly what Peter did: "To him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen."
Let us determine with His help to live and lead (or follow) in humility.
"...All of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble."
AACS World Wide Web Pages