Why a Christian Leader's Worldview Matters Immensely
A Christian leader's worldview matters as it determines what actions that leader will take. When we have a worldview that says the kingdom of God, a kingdom not of this world, governs us, it revolutionizes what we do. I have not always had this worldview, and consequently have at times failed to complete the mission God gave me. Here's a case in point.
There we sat late on a Sunday night, the president of my denomination and me. I poured out my heart about how awful my church was. I was struggling with my competitive nature; I needed to succeed to meet my own ego needs. But I also wanted out in the worst way. I was desperate for some help. The president listened patiently and when he spoke, he surprised me. "Bill," he spoke softly, "you are a good young man, one of our best, and we will always be able to find a place for you." That was a life-altering statement. He was focusing on me and my welfare, rather than on the future of that church. It was very godlike, and I realized I wouldn't be a failure if I left. At the same time, I was committed to winning, to taking down the evil in the church. I decided to stay and fight it out.
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Sometime later all the dynamics collided. It was one of those church meetings from hell. After years of conflict, I had thought we had worked it through, that people were tired of the fighting, the bickering, the gossip, and slander. But that night I found that the root of bitterness never tires; it has a never-ending energy and appetite for hurting others. When the candidates for church office came up, I was confident that we had a wonderful slate of nominees. But when the moment came for nominations from the floor, name after name was suggested. It was clear—a special-interest group had planned its counterattack. Suddenly we had an entire slate of new nominees who had given their prior permission to create the havoc. I was stunned but did appreciate the Enemy's perseverance. I collected my thoughts and two weeks later I resigned. People wanted to know why. I confessed that my family had been miserable for the three years we had been there. After I left the room, the meeting got loud and rabid. My fans wanted to know who gave me trouble; they were taking names. The next day a representative approached me with a proposal to entice me to stay that involved getting rid of everyone that had given me trouble and rewriting the church's constitution. The problem was I didn't like the "prize." I didn't like the way it was won, and I knew that some of what they promised me wasn't even legal. I realized then that this was no way to get my way. I walked away.
If my worldview had been like Jesus' worldview as revealed in his prayer, I would have given myself as an offering to that congregation. Only God would have been able to release me from his call. Looking back, I believe I failed to complete the mission God had given me at that church. I could have stayed as a servant but I wasn't that committed to them, to the church, and to the ways of Jesus. I will never know what God may have done. A leader's worldview matters.
Written by Bill Hull
Taken from The Christian Leader by Bill Hull. Copyright © 2016 by Robert W. Hull. Used by permission of Zondervan. www.zondervan.com.
Photo by Timothy Eberly on Unsplash