Leadership - Love What God Loves
The Bible gives us more than a hint about what God loves. Scripture reveals God's perspective on humanity. For example, think of Nineveh in the Book of Jonah and how desperately and tenaciously God wanted the people of that city to turn from their worldly wicked ways, repent, and follow Him (Jonah 4). Think of the micro (those in your immediate family) and the macro (Canadians, Americans, or even Saudi Arabians). How much do we truly love people? Like Jonah, do we want them to be destroyed and judge them to be reprobates? Or do we see them as God sees them? Do we love them and want them to have a deep, rich relationship with our loving Father?
Yes, I know, you are right, God is no pushover. That’s obvious. God’s blessing on Israel required obedience. God told them, “If you obey,” and “If you carefully obey…” (Deuteronomy 11:9 and 13). God provides many warnings to His people. He says, “But be careful. Don’t let your heart be deceived so that you turn away from the LORD and serve and worship other gods” (Deuteronomy 11:16).
There are indeed dire consequences for any person who fails to follow God with their whole heart and soul. In fact, God puts it bluntly, “But you will be cursed if you reject the commands of the LORD your God and turn away from him and worship other gods you have not known before (Deuteronomy 11:28).
Fine. Wonderful. So God is loving and holy. And just. It is super important for us as followers of Jesus to discern God’s values and to make them our core values. God detests every kind of deception (Proverbs 8:7). Yet some think it is okay to deceive people “for the kingdom’s sake.” It isn’t. Accountability always arrives. Never late.
It is okay to be a blue-collar worker. It’s more than okay to be simple and straightforward, one who calls a spade a spade. Yet our churches are often captained by men with a limp wrist on the rudder. God hates lukewarm. Sheep in the midst of wolves are to be as wise as serpents yet as innocent as doves (Matthew 10:14-20). God does not send us out without the ability to assess, analyze, discern, and create. He sends us out in the power of the Spirit of Christ to wisely build with a clear conscience and a quick mind.
A college football team I followed a few years back had a coach who waxed on with his players about leadership and often intertwined his stories with Bible talk. Local pastors would even bring him in to “teach” their men's groups. But he had a reputation as a womanizer. And he had no contrition. Instead, he mocked others who had fallen. I listened to one of his speeches as he told us all how early in his career he had not been like a worldy coach who frequented strip clubs. No mention, mind you, of his documented history of prostitutes on speed dial. Local executives with membership at the ritzy golf club talked of how he spent many hours at the club. He earned zero respect from these men. Rightly so.
When your actions don’t align with your so-called standards, it's an issue of integrity. That is why the televangelists went broke in the 1980s. God exposed their hypocrisy. They got their deserved accountability. What a burden. What a shame. And yet the Kingdom marches on. God always aligns with those who love Him and trust Him by what they believe and what they do.
In cultures of fear and cultures where the boss man is propped up by a web of silence, you can’t criticize any leader. In these Christian circles, you’ll be gaslit with Bible verses saying it is wrong to call out sin. They claim Church discipline (God’s standard) stopped when the Holy Spirit stopped doing miracles. Pure rubbish.
God’s inerrant word is all about proper judgment. Indeed, we are to tell people the truth that Jesus will return and that on the last day we will all face our Righteous Judge (2 Corinthians 5:9-10 and Revelation 22:12). It matters greatly what we believe and what we do to show what we believe.
So yes, we must constantly assess our leadership by God’s standards (1 Timothy 3:1-13 and Titus 1:5-9). When we morally fail, we lose credibility. No, that doesn’t mean we are destined for hell. Thank God we have Jesus Christ as our Advocate and our merciful God who calls us to confess our sins to each other and to repent of them for forgiveness (James 5:16). Leaders forfeit their leadership qualifications if they fail to align what they do with God's standards. We must obediently follow Christ. We must love what He loves. And hate what He hates. But make no apology for calling out devious and crooked wolves.
God says, “All who fear the LORD will hate evil. Therefore, I hate pride and arrogance, corruption and perverse speech” (Proverbs 8:17). Love people (Proverbs 8:17). Hate what God hates (8:13). Walk in righteousness - in paths of justice - even if the path be unpopular.
Lord Jesus, please help us to rejoice in Christian fellowship today. Help us to celebrate all that is good, created by You, our Lord. And help us to love people as You love them. Amen.
Kari at Andrew Jackson's Hermitage last weekend.
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