Sam Metcalf wrote:
In my experience, ineffective spiritual leaders:
1. Have issues with authority. They have never learned to be a follower.
2. Experience little closure. They donÂ’t or canÂ’t complete processes. There is a lack of faithfulness in the small things.
3. Gravitate to extremes. For example: there is a demon behind every bush and life is super-spiritualized or they only understand the human dynamic of ministry and there is little room for the supernatural.
4. Have never thought through a clearly articulated philosophy of ministry.
5. Cannot tell the difference between their ambitions and God’s desires, most often because they have never learned to hear from God. Their “theology of guidance” is warped.
6. Do not listen well and donÂ’t ask questions. They are unteachable. Usually, this stems from an arrogant, know-it all, self-absorbed perspective.
7. Are uniquely susceptible to acts of the flesh because they have not dealt with their emotional “stuff” and are unaccountable.
I think he's pretty right on a lot of these. I've defnoticednoticied #4 happening. I see "leaders" railing against the status quo and then when asked how they would change things....."um.....I'd....just be nicer to people"
I'm not sure that #1 and #6 are actually that different, but maybe he just wanted to have 7 habits??? Maybe I'm just lumping them together because they're both so obviously about pride.
I will say that I think he's right on those as well. Some would read this and say, "well I definitely ask a lot of questions" and I know as a question asker that often my questions are there only to flesh out my ideas or to manipulate a conversation (I'm a jerk)
The world needs more leaders. We just need less leaders who are living out these 7...
I think the difference between #1 and #6 is that #1 is related mostly to superiors/authorities and #6 has to do with listening to all those that you work with - not just your authorities.
ReplyDeleteMany people who aspire to be leaders avoid #1 by simply not putting themselves under any authority at all - they start independant churches, their own parachurch organization, etc. It's important that we obey our existing authorities but also seek out appropriate authority if we are not currently under authority. This is why I think church membership is important.