Leadership and Freedom

As a senior pastor, one of my main tasks is leading, and more precisely, envisioning the future and preparing our congregation to make the most of it. And, over the years I have come to see as a commonly occurring obstacle the idea that somehow planning, the setting of objectives, and the expectation of accomplishment via accountability takes away from God's overall control of the church. "We can never expect the sovereign God to fit Himself into our plans" is one way those opposed to planning frame the issue. At other times, they just say things like "God's going to do His will, and we'd be better off just waiting on Him." Now, all this sounds both theologically astute and even pious, but I think this thinking is ultimately based on several faulty suppositions.

In the Bible I see God creating leadership as a concept, and installing leaders as a vital part of His plan. There is no question that leaders are to lead, and do so with the constant conviction that they are themselves responsible to the Leader, Jesus Christ. I could note all the places in the Bible where plans were made and carried out, even places where God did the planning! But I want to focus on just one event: the failed leadership of Aaron in offering the people the Golden Calf.

If you remember your OT history, Exodus 32 finds the people quite confused as to the welfare of Moses. After all, he left to climb the mountain, and meet with God. They all knew that one misstep would mean his demise given that God was an awesome and holy God. He had been gone 40 days and, as the text tells us "we do not know what has become of him." Notice what has happened. With Moses away, the people now begin to act as though there are no boundaries. They move outside the plan, and turn their backs on their mission. Maybe some spurred them on by saying "you know, Moses is trying to put God in a box, and maybe God doesn't want to be constrained! Maybe we better start thinking outside the box." Their "freedom" from direct oversight has not left them in a better position, but rather the lack of daily direction has brought confusion and despair. They lack clarity as to their responsibilities, and this lack of clarity causes a vacuum that they are driven to fill.

They go to Aaron, the "second" in command, seeking in their own way to fill the vacuum. At this point, Aaron has a choice: abdicate his position of leadership and follow those he is supposed to lead in order to maintain peace; or take up the responsibility of leadership, provide a plan that aligns with what he knows about God and has experienced from God's hand since leaving Egypt. He chooses the former, and that made all the difference. He chooses to placate rather than lead.

Can't you hear the discussions he had with himself? "I could stand up for God as I know Him to be, but that might mean angering the people, and perhaps, losing them to chaos and full-scale rebellion! On the other hand, maybe all they're really looking for is a "visible hand rail" to guide them further in their knowledge of the One True God. I'll make them a visible god, and just call it The Lord! What a great solution. A little error to make the truth more appetizing and accessible! After all, we don't want to put God in a box!"

The text tells us later that in actuality, Aaron had let the people get out of control: "Now when Moses saw that the people were out of control - for Aaron had let them get out of control to be a derision among their enemies - then Moses stood in the gate of the camp and said 'Whoever is for the Lord, come to me!'" (Exodus 32:25, 26). He hadn't really given them freedom! He hadn't taken God out of the box, but rather, he had led the people into a box of idolatry and judgment by failing to understand that God has already defined Himself in such a way that He inhabits a "box" of His own making, and all who try to re-define Him will find themselves face to face with His wrath.

What's the principle here? Leadership is essential to control. A lack of leadership does not lead to freedom but to chaos. When people are out of control, they are contributing to their own destruction. It is the responsibility of leadership to know the mission and define the direction in which those who seek to accomplish the mission will travel. It is also the responsibility of leadership to stay on the path even when it gets tough, even when some people clamor for an easier, more personally fulfilling mission. It is the responsibility of leadership to lead, humbly and with radical dependence upon their Leader, and - to quote Winston - "never, never, never give up!" We need more Moses and no Aaron; more courage and conviction, and no compromise; more dependence upon God and no determination to keep the clamoring masses pacified; more commitment to the mission of Christ, and no wasted energy trying to pacify the self-centered; simply, we need more leadership, and more clarity, and no more fear except the fear of somehow squandering the privilege we have to extend the Kingdom of Christ in our day.

Hope this helps,


David