What Is Required Of A Leader

 "Dear brothers and sisters, not many of you should become teachers in the church, for we who teach will be judged more strictly." - James 3:1


  I woke up this morning to the sound of silence. I lay on my back for a minute and smiled and thanked God for another day of life. I never want to take my uprising for granted. I reached over to my night stand and grabbed my morning bottle of water, drank it, and laid back down for a few minutes contemplating the day.  At the time of this writing Rodney King, (of the 1992 LA riots), was found dead at the bottom of his swimming pool, Penn State assistant coach Jerry Sandusky is on trial for the alleged sexual abuse of young boys, and the NBA Playoffs have the Miami Heat winning the series over the Oklahoma City Thunder 2-1.  There is so much more going on in the world today, (both locally and globally), that if one isn't careful they could find themselves in a state of deep despair concerning some of the issues surrounding us.
  This past Sunday, as I watched my pastor preach in church, it was evident to me of the difficulty he was having delivering the sermon. Having been in his shoes for many years, (as a pastor in Oklahoma for two years and later in Alaska), I could empathize with his struggle. It is written, "To whom much is given, much is required" and any man or woman who accepts the mantle of lording over God's people with the Word of God should be prepared to drink from its bitter cup firsthand. Without naming specific persons, most of us are very familiar with the accounts of religious leaders who chose to live the life of "Do as I say and not as I do". Needless to say, this attitude always ends in their downfall at some time or another. I will say one thing in defense of  these men and women who elect to accept the call to preach; Their biggest task is not preaching, but rather resisting the adoration and fame and power bestowed upon them by the members of their congregation(s).
  I knew of a young man some 20 plus years ago who took his young wife and two small children and joined a church. The young man was excited at the words spoken by the pastor and after a short time he and his wife would become close friends with him and would host him at their home whenever he was in town. Years later the young man learned that the pastor had not only been accepting the hospitality of his home, but of his young wife as well. Having been truly converted with the love of God, the young man was able to resist the urge to take matters into his own hands; however, he did report the incident to his church. Sadly, the church ostracized the young man, classified his young wife as a harlot, and concluded that their beloved pastor had been a victim of Jezebel's temptations. The young couple later divorced and the pastor and his church continued on as if nothing ever happened.
  There is much more to being a leader than many care to consider. Leaders, (whether in the church or on the job), are held to higher standards than the people they govern. Leaders do not take their positions for granted and do not abuse the power given to them or take advantage of the people they are meant to serve. Leaders are not allowed to to take home office supplies because they possess the key to the supply cabinet. Leaders are expected to follow regulations and not allow their positions to give them liberties not afforded to others. And most of all, leaders are expected to spend more time in prayer and meditation so as not to succumb to the many desires of their heart.
  Finally, I would like to encourage us all to consider ourselves leaders in some form or another. You may not lead a large church congregation or supervise an office full of people. You may not lead hundreds of soldiers on a daily basis or be in charge of a construction site. Perhaps you are a member of the congregation, a welder on the job, a typist for a firm, or a self-employed citizen. Whatever your position, someone is watching you at sometime and without realizing it, your actions and/or behavior could be the catalyst for that person to change their life for the better or influence them to delve into a dark and abyssmal lifestyle.  

The greatest power that a person possesses is the power to choose.
- J. Martin Kohe

  My fervent prayer is that we all will do a little better to love more sincerely, reject unusual adoration from others, be forever mindful that we, too, are but a hair away from becoming a CNN headline, and that we all have sinned and fell short of God's expectation of us at some point in our individual lives.

 I love you all.

 Dennis