Legacy Leadership: Wisdom Of The Apostle PaulSample

Pure Motives - Part 1

I recently heard about a phenomenon called the “tall poppy syndrome.” Evidently, it is a common farming practice to cut down any poppy that grows above the rest. Unfortunately, this practice is not limited to just plants. There is a growing trend to attack, criticize, and resent anyone who has talent or achievements that sets them apart from others. This tendency extends to those who resent the efforts of leaders who challenge the status quo. Opponents of change initiatives often attempt to marginalize leaders by attacking their character and questioning their motives. If the messenger is flawed, then the message and vision they offer cannot be trusted. As disappointing as it is, these challenges come with the territory of leadership.

Paul was very familiar with this kind of character assault. He frequently encountered malicious opposition from those who questioned his motive and his methods. We get a sense of the content and the intensity of these attacks from his response to those accusations in these verses:

“For our exhortation does not come from error or impurity or by way of deceit; but just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, so we speak, not as pleasing men, but God who examines our hearts.  For we never came with flattering speech, as you know, nor with a pretext for greed--God is witness--nor did we seek glory from men, either from you or from others, even though as apostles of Christ we might have asserted our authority.” (1 Thessalonians 2:3-6).

Several charges were being made against Paul: error, sexual impurity, deceit, flattery, and greed. That’s quite a list. Let’s see how he dealt with these allegations. First, he addresses the claim that his message was false by stating that his message did not come from “error.” He experienced extreme hardship and mistreatment when he first came to Thessalonica, yet he persisted with Spirit-empowered boldness.  He was willing to persist because his commitment to sharing the gospel was greater than his concern for his own personal comfort.

The second charge accused Paul and his team of engaging in the sexual impurity that was a common feature of many cults during this period. Members of those cults engaged in ritual prostitution in their temples. This practice was based on their belief that by physically uniting with a messenger of one of the gods, they were also united with that god. Paul’s detractors had made a similar accusation against him. He emphatically rejected that charge.

The third accusation focused on the methods employed by the apostle and his team. They were accused of promoting their agenda “by way of deceit.” In the original language, deceit refers to using bait to catch fish.  Over time, this word came to mean trickery or any piece of cunning. Just as we would disguise the hook in order to catch a fish, there were many false teachers who resorted to various tricks to attract followers and take their money. Paul’s critics were accusing him of the same tactic, and he adamantly refuted this charge.

Paul persevered amidst these attacks and demonstrated the purity of the motives that informed his leadership.

Reflect and Act on these questions:

• Have you ever been “the tallest poppy” at school, on a team, or at work? Did others try to “cut you down” because of your talent or position? How did you respond?
• Be brutally honest: have you ever been so filled with jealousy that you tried to cut someone down?
• As you consider your response to being the target of others attacks, as well as your own resentment of others achievements, what is the Holy Spirit showing you about your attitudes and motives?
• What adjustments is He prompting you to make?