July 15: Insight Post by Rusty Coram
Wednesday Insight Post
by Rusty Coram
When Becky and I were considering starting a church, we sought out all the wisdom and insight we could from people who were wise and had experience in church “planting.” This included both the planters and those who helped support new churches as they got started. One thing that stood out in our conversations was the danger of someone starting a church that was doing it out of reaction. These were people who resisted following leadership and were convinced they were much smarter, wiser, and gifted than others. Churches started with this arrogant attitude in the leader were in serious danger. Whether in church, business, or sports, a leader who has not learned to be a good follower almost always does more harm than good to the organization. The way to prevent unnecessary harm like this is found in 1 Peter 5:5–6 (NLT): “5In the same way, you who are younger must accept the authority of the elders. And all of you, dress yourselves in humility as you relate to one another, for “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” 6So humble yourselves under the mighty power of God, and at the right time he will lift you up in honor.” God’s design is that we develop good character so that any skill and insight we have can be well used. Humble submission to leadership is an important and necessary pathway to this. Being an attentive follower allows us to learn and grow so that when we have greater responsibility and authority, we can do good and not harm. Submitting to leadership of those older and wiser provides the environment where maturity happens. If we bypass this step, we are prone to let pride and ignorance lead us and others into trouble. Even if the leaders we are following aren’t the sharpest, God will still honor our humility and build in us what we need.
Rusty Coram
Senior Pastor
New Hope Church
Lorton, Virginia
www.newhope.org