Leaders and Followers

Everyone who works with children or has children in their home knows this child. The one with "leadership" skills who is very good at telling the adult what other children are doing wrong, but has trouble following directions themselves. 

When we line up to walk down the hall at school, I tell one child to be a good leader and the others to be good followers. And I have them take turns being the leader. Most children do well in either role. But, there are those children who want  to be the leader all the time, and have a very difficult time being a good follower.

What is the lesson to be learned in this? Don't we as adults have the same changing roles. We can't always be the leaders. Sometimes we are. Sometimes we are followers: employees, students, service providers where we can easily identify to whom we are accountable.  Other times, that accountability is more complicated, but still there. Even the CEO is responsible to the board of directors, who are accountable to stock holders. Several years ago, following a move, our previous phone provider had not removed our name from the account but had given the number to someone else, who made multiple calls to "900" numbers. We received a phone bill for over $1000 dollars. After a very long and frustrating conversation with the customer service representative, my husband asked to speak with her supervisor. She told him she didn't have a supervisor. He exclaimed, "Wow! I'm talking to the owner of A T and T?!" Whether she would admit it or not, she had someone to whom she was accountable. 

As a society we put a lot of emphasis on having leadership skills. We glorify the leader and minimize the follower. Does this sound familiar? "Be a leader, not a follower." I understand this phrase is used to try to steer children away from peer pressure to do things that are wrong. But just listen to the phrase. Isn't the concept much more than avoiding wrong doing? Are we telling our children that we want them to have more worth and value than someone else? 

In the spiritual sense we are all ultimately followers. We either follow Jesus, some false teaching (false god) , or our own selfish desires. We may be in earthly leadership positions of one kind or another, but our decisions and our actions are driven by who or what we follow. The quality of our leadership depends on who we are following. 

Ephesians 2:1-3

1 As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, 2 in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient.3 All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesh and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath.

Ephesians 5:1-3

1 Follow God’s example, therefore, as dearly loved children 2 and walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.

We need to be more concerned about following Jesus than about leading men.  The only way to lead well is to follow God well. The paradox is that we can not be good leaders until we learn to truly be good followers of Jesus, humbly  acknowledging Him as Lord.