My sister came home from college this past weekend. We sat in mill mountain and talked for hours. Apparently a lot happens in college. Apparently it happens fast too. But as busy as she is, and as many stories that she told me, one thing she said sticks out greater than any other. She recently began leading Young Life at Charlottsvile High School, so consequently we were talking about leading. Specifically leading young life, yes. But also leading in general. At one point she looked at me and said, "You can't lead someone to a place where you aren't". Cool, right? I thought about it and realized that it's true. The only reason Martin Luther King Jr. was able to lead a revolution in this country is because he was leading his followers and believers to ideas that he wholeheartedly believed. King had a vision, and in his mind he was already living in a world free of the racial bondage that so engulfed the present. King led his followers to the world that he dreamed of, a place that King already believed existed. A place that in his mind, King already lived in. A leader must lead his or her followers to a place where he or she already is. Likewise, a leader can't lead a group to a place where he or she isn't. What does that look like? It looks like a brokenhearted pastor preaching to a congregation on sunday morning about the importance of purity and how sacred marriage is, when in reality he is held trapped by his lust, caught hiding his sin of an alduterous marriage. Maybe that is why so many people dismiss the Christian Church. There are a lot of fakes. A lot of pastors and leaders who claim to be somebody they are not. Who claim to know Jesus Christ but don't. I don't like to bag on the Church, but this has been on my heart recently. I see it in my school. I see it in my church. Heck i see it in myself sometimes.
It's raining tonight. It seems like it rains every night these days. I don't know. I bought a rain jacket last week. I've never had a rain jacket before. I have a history test tomorrow. It's 10:30. But reader, whoever you are, you're worth it to keep writing.
There's a difference between being a leader in the Church and being any sort of other leader. I have come to realize this recently perhaps more than anything else. Being a leader for the sole purpose of wanting kids to come to know their savior changes everything. You are no longer leading someone to yourself. You aren't even leading a person to an idea. You are leading him/her to another person. I would go so far as to say that if you end up leading this person to yourself rather than Christ, you have completely failed. If you miss Christ you miss everything.
I started discipling a group of 7th grade guys a couple of weeks ago. It's hard as crap. It's bonkers. My prayer is that i do not lead these fellas to myself. Like i mentioned earlier, a leader can't lead people to a place he/she is not. I can't lead these guys to Jesus unless i am there myself. This has changed the way i lead.
It's still raining. I lit a candle. I like candles. This one smells like the beach. I like the beach. Did i mention i have a history test tomorrow? oh and a calc quiz. It's gonna be a late night. Confession: i haven't decided whether or not to use proper grammar when i blog. So sumtimes i mite talk liiike dis.
I mentioned that being a leader in the church is different. I said it's different because you are not leading people to yourself, but rather to someone else. How is this different than anything else? I'm glad you asked. I will tell you. Think of great leaders in history. Martin Luther King? He led people in large part to himself and his ideas. Obama? He wouldn't be the powerful man he is today if he wasn't constantly leading people to himself. Oprah? She has a tv network now. She named it after herself. Enough said. Now let me throw some other names at you. Francis Chan. Matt Chandler. Don Miller. Clayton King. John Piper. Maybe you know these guys. Maybe you don't. Each of these guys is a predominant figure in the Christian Church today. These guys have led hundreds, if not thousands, of people to Jesus. You might be thinking, "well then why haven't i heard of them?!". The Answer, these guys didn't lead people to themself. They have done amazing things in this world. Not to their own glory, but to God's. And that is what it takes to be a great Christian leader today.
Note: if you pick up a book in the Christian section of the bookstore and the cover has the author's face on it, chances are he/she is to some leading others to himself/herself rather than Jesus. Which means he/she is also to some degree leading others away from Christ. Just sayin.
A final thought. Perhaps what the Church needs this day in age is to focus on raising up real leaders in the church rather than fakes. Evangelism is pointless unless there are strong leaders in place to walk with new believers. Leaders who will not lead others to himself or herself, but rather to Christ. Jesus bet it all on his 12 disciples. He bet the entire future of the Church on 12 genuine leaders who did not have a personal agenda, but rather believed solely in the purpose of leading others to Christ. Jesus didn't have a plan B. Why then, does the Church today put so much emphasis on evangelism, and so little on discipleship? It doesn't make sense to me. When i met the Lord i was lucky enough to have 5 or 6 older guys, leaders, around me to walk with me. Without them i would have fallen away. I would not be following Christ today. In a lot of ways evangelism serves little purpose unless there is a genuine community of leaders to walk with new Christians. And hopefully these leaders will lead these people to a place where they already are. Otherwise, it won't work. People won't believe you. People won't believe in what you are trying to lead them to. And in a situation as eternally meaningful as leading kids to Jesus, already being in the place you are trying to lead to is essential.
This post is really long. If you have kept reading up until this point, thank you. It means a lot. I have been typing this for 67 minutes, and you know what? It's still raining, my candle is still burning, and my history test is still tomorrow. Amen.
Much Love. Eric.
love it. love you.
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