The Heart Attitudes: Part 8Sample

  

Heart Attitude #7 – Follow spiritual leadership within Scriptural limits.

Hebrews 13:17 “Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they keep watch over your souls as those who will give an account, so that they can do this with joy and not with grief, for that would be unprofitable for you.”

1 Corinthians 16:15-16 “Brothers, you know the household of Stephanas: They are the first fruits of Achaia and have devoted themselves to serving the saints. I urge you also to submit to such people, and to everyone who works and labors with them.”

In the first sentence of that verse in Hebrews are two words that describe how we follow leaders. The word “Obey” is a word that means to assent to evidence or authority. It basically means we say yes and then we do it. It also means to be easily persuaded. It is ok to ask questions of your leaders. They should have a good reason for leading the church or ministry in the direction they are proposing. Our response should be to be easily persuaded to follow their direction. It does not imply a blind faith in our leaders, just that we are not a stubborn follower! 

The second word is the word “submit”. It has the meaning of yield or to resist no longer but to give way. If you have watched a MMA fight you might see one of the contestants “tap out” or give up when a hold becomes too painful to endure. That is the mental picture for this word. Once the decision has been made by your church, we are to yield to that decision and no longer resist but join in to make sure we can accomplish what the Lord is leading us to do. 

We are to follow in a manner that makes it a joy to lead us. That is where the profit comes from for those who do. We need to make it a delight to be our leader. The opposite of that in the verse in Hebrews is to make it exasperating to lead us or a burden to do so. We can easily see where that is not profitable or preferred for our leaders.

There is a stronger word that Paul uses in 1 Corinthians 16 to describe how we are to follow. That word used in verses 15-16 of that chapter is the word for ordering ourselves under like in the military. In this manner, we are to put ourselves in this position of submission. This is certainly easier when we have good leaders who are following the Lord’s direction as we shall see later. 

It is not an easy position for most of us to put ourselves into, but it is one that will bring great joy to both ourselves and our leaders. The good news is that it starts with our attitude as a follower!