Leadership Slavery

For years many have understood that Pastors are some of the hardest working individuals around. Leadership can be a kind of slavery. With this in mind, I have a few thoughts. The Bible says that who is greatest among us should be our servant, or slave. If that is the case we are to all strive to serve. What is a slave, what kind of serving are we talking about? Personally, I see it as absolute devotion and totally consuming. Serving God and looking out for others should be of the utmost importance. Those who you serve are like your family. You should have a pure and devoted heart towards them. Now, I must ask, how do you treat your servants and slaves that care for you?

Many abuse the system... This causes the servant leaders to become over stressed and over tired. That is how we discover leaders, preachers, and all sorts of ministers turning to books with diagrams and pre-written sermons for the year. They have been abused to the point that they do not have enough time alone with the Lord for Divine Revelation to occur. Even in Home Churches and Emerging Churches we have a tendency to lay the responsibilites on one person. You expect them to lead every discussion, teach every teaching, and get you excited about God week after week, discussion after discussion. You may not even consider what you are doing as abuse. On the other hand, your leader slaves are pouring everything they can into helping you. In return you barely nod or share an opinion. If they encourage you to participate and have an opinion of your own you further close off and refuse to speak. This is a desperate situation. Each time that this occurs, your leaders become weaker and more vulnerable because they see no benefits to their actions. They toil and slave away for your benefit but see no rewards or participation from you. It is easy to become discouraged. While it is a leaders purpose to serve others it is easy to grow weary.

My purpose for this..... give them a break..... Have an idea of your own, speak up once in awhile, and if you are called into leadership, perhaps you could lead a meeting or service occasionally. What harm is there in asking or making a suggestion. Every one needs a little time off, and leadership slaves are no different. Be respectful for those who serve you and you will find more encouraged and vibrant servants among you. It is easy to forget the perspective of others. We as humans have a tendency to think only of ourselves. It is time that we look from anothers perspective and learn from them.