Effective Leadeship . . .or Not

I love reading and learning about leadership. Always have. . .and probably always will. My first lesson in leadership came from my one of my mentors - Gene Wilkes - who taught me to lead, not manage. And that's stinkin' hard for me 'cause I'm a control freak. It's probably the main reason I don't ride roller coasters - no steering wheel. . .I'm not in control.

Another lesson I've learned over the years is that leadership is influence. If you're not influencing people then you're probably not a leader. I've learned this one the hard way. Again, I'm a control freak, so I've been guilty of telling people what to do rather than influencing them.

I say all this because I was reading about the life and rule of Jotham, another of the kings of Judah. 2 Chronicles 27:2 says that Jotham did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, yet the people continued their corrupt practices. This lead me to wonder how effective a leader he was? How much influence did he have over the people of Judah?

I came to the following conclusions:

1. He had little or no influence over the people of Judah
2. While Jotham was following the Lord, he did nothing or very little to get rid of the idols and altars of worship to foreign gods (see 2 Kings 15:32-37)
   
3. Or it's both 1 & 2

In spite of Jotham's leadership, or lack of it, I also wonder how much responsibility should the people take for their own spirituality? I don't think it's much different in churches these days. The pastor/staff pursue the heart of God, yet the people show up each week, check church off their To-Do list and continue with their lives, never growing any closer to God than they were before they showed up. And get this, they may sing really good, or at least really loud (like me), take notes during the sermon, and may even be part of a small group. Yet, it's just something they do because they have other things that are real priorities in their lives.

***NOTE: I am generalizing here. I know that. I know that in most churches there are faithful, God-pursuing people who sacrifice, serve, and come alongside their staff and leadership. This is not an attack on the church or staff. It's just an observation.***

So here's what I'm wrestling with - how much responsibility does the pastor/staff take for the spirituality of the people of their church and how much responsibility should the people take for their own spirituality? I think there is responsibility on both sides of the question. And I ask, because I've been in a lot of churches and sat down with a lot of leaders over the years and have seen & heard their struggles.

Tell me where you are,
Mike