December 22:
B.C. verse: Matthew 2:7-8
A.D. verse: I Peter 1: 3-7
Christmas hymn: “Do You Hear What I Hear??
Hymn for today: “Overcomer” by Mandisa
King Herod is still in the spotlight for today’s verses. I’m not gonna
lie; it kind of bothers me that he is. After all, the Advent season is all
about Jesus. Why does Herod get to make a guest appearance twice in the reading
schedule?
What’s worse is his behavior in today’s passage. “Herod then arranged a
secret meeting with the scholars from the East. Pretending to be as devout as
they were, he got them to tell him exactly when the birth-announcement star
appeared” (Matthew 2: 7). Basically, the king abuses his power in such a way
that he manipulates those around him. The guy who is supposed to be trustworthy
and respected turns out to be the biggest snake in the viper pit.
And what’s worse x 2? Who is going to question him? Who is going to
stop him? As far as anyone knew, he really WAS interested in meeting and
worshiping the new king. No one could have called that he was plotting to kill
the new king. Furthermore, who could have stopped him?
This gets to me thinking about leaders, in general, especially
spiritual leaders. Since these people are considered men and women of God, it
is easy for the average Joe to swallow whole anything and everything that comes
from their mouths. I’m not saying that
we need to be cynical regarding our spiritual leaders, but we do need to be
mindful of the fact that they are human, just like everyone. To be human is to
be sinful and selfish, and God forbid that someone like Herod, who claims to be
devout, should cause others to go astray.
So, how can you tell the difference between a Godly leader and a Herod?
Honestly, only God knows the true heart of a leader, and we would be
wise to leave the judgment calls up to Him. God is a big God who has His finger
on the pulse of EVERYTHING. He doesn’t need us to micro-manage for Him, and to
do so is sin. His Will is perfect, so if there is a stinker in the room, He
will take care of the problem in His own time and in His own way.
And even if a poor leader is in place for a time, you can bet your
bottom dollar that God allowed him/her to be there for that duration for a
specific, perfect reason. Our job is to
keep our eyes fixed exclusively on Him, waiting for Him to tell us what He
wants us to do, not worry (as in judge) about someone else’s journey and
issues. “And through your faith, God is protecting you by his power until you
receive the salvation, which is ready to be revealed on the last day for all to
see” (I Peter 1:5).
Even so, our spiritual leaders assist us in our spiritual education and
edification. The Bible and the character of Christ provide the only guidelines
we have with regard to spiritual leadership. Therefore, here are a few flags to
watch for when it comes to the integrity of spiritual leaders:
1)
Are their directives/teachings in opposition to
the Bible’s teachings in any way?
In other words, if what they teach or
promote or how they conduct themselves is sinful in any way, that’s a huge
flag. Rumors, gossip, secretiveness, lying, manipulation, etc, etc, etc do not
correlate with the Bible’s teachings; therefore, a leader should not promote or
tolerate any of them.
2)
Do their leadership decisions and directives
glorify God and promote spiritual growth?
A tyrannical
atmosphere of fear, intolerance, unchecked power, and spiritual stagnation does
not promote growth. Likewise, if division is the result versus unification, it
is indicative of problems with spiritual leadership. Even if the fault is a
wayward congregation versus anything that a leader has said or done, the
leader’s efficacy and spiritual guidance should be questioned (at least, in my
opinion).
3)
Does the leader practices what s/he preaches?
Is s/he actively in
the Word – reading, studying, and meditating? Does s/he have an obvious
personal relationship with the Savior, which extends beyond prayer and reading
the Bible? I know what you’re thinking – how can anyone answer these questions?
They are personal; only God and s/he would know the answers to these questions.
I agree. However, I
would argue that a person’s behavior – how s/he acts when s/he doesn’t know
s/he is being watched – is the answer to those questions.
In other words, does
the leader’s character resemble that of the Good Shepherd? Love, humility, meekness, kindness,
gentleness, self-control, an other’s-first, lost-sheep mentality. . .all of
these describe the Good Shepherd that we have read about day-after-day in our
Advent reading. While it is impossible for any human to achieve Christ’s
standard, a spiritual leader should be conscientious of the example s/he presents
to flock under his/her care.
No matter what, the Herods of this life last only for a season. They
may deceive us, they may make our lives miserable for a while, and they will
disappoint us at some time. Any success they achieve is only classified by
worldly standards. Ultimately, however, God’s Will and Purpose prevail, and
that is what we look forward to as we await His return.
“So be truly glad. There is
wonderful joy ahead, even though you have to endure many trials for a little
while. These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as
fire tests and purifies gold – though your faith is far more precious than
gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you
much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the
whole world” (I Peter 1: 6-7).
Daily Challenge: Pay it forward today. You and God decide together what
it is.
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