Followers and Leaders
Read Exodus 18:13-27. What principles of leadership can be found in these verses? What can we learn from them about leaders and followers?
Although all people are fundamentally equal in the eyes of God, there are major differences in the manner in which they function. Some have the gift of leadership. Our society, and every organization within society, would soon collapse if there were no leaders. Even in heaven there appears to be a distinct differentiation in roles: There are, for instance, angels and archangels! When God called His people out of Egypt, He appointed leaders. When He organized a sanctuary service, He made sure there would be adequate leadership. God worked through judges, prophets, kings, etc.
But leaders are useless without followers who are willing to accept their leadership. In particular, they need a group of close associates who are willing to learn from their leader and to assist in the realization of the goals of their leader.
Jesus called 12 disciples. Read Mark 3:13-19 for a condensed version of His selection of 12 men. What other examples of teachers who surrounded themselves with disciples do we find in a Gospel story? See Mark 2:18.
There was nothing extraordinary in the fact that Jesus had a group of disciples. It was customary for teachers to have a following of "interns." What was remarkable, however, were the kind of men Jesus chose. Jesus saw a potential in these men that most of us would not have discerned! What also is remarkable was their instant willingness to leave their daily business and follow this carpenter from Nazareth. They apparently saw something extraordinary in this man that even most of His own relatives had not discovered yet.
It should, however, be noted that although the Twelve are a very special group, there are many others referred to in the Gospels as "disciples," as well.
| There tends to be in some societies an antileadership attitude; in contrast, in some societies people all but blindly follow their leaders. What's the tendency in your society, and how do you strike a proper balance? |
No comments:
Post a Comment