Romans 12:6,8
“Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them: …he who leads, with diligence”
Let he who is a leader lead with diligence. The King James says “rule with diligence.” The greek word here translated “lead and rule” is the word proistemi which means:
1) to set or place before
a) to set over
b) to be over, to superintend, preside over
c) to be a protector or guardian
1) to give aid
d) to care for, give attention to
1) profess honest occupations
So what it is saying is that if we are set over anyone to lead them or protect them or guard them or to care for them we must do it with diligence.
There are too many leaders in the Body of Christ that do not lead with diligence. I can testify, because I am one of them. Although I am not an official church leader, I am still a leader in some respect. I find myself being lazy much too often and diligent much too scarce.
I think many christian leaders are much too caught up in the world. We need to lead the way when it comes to having close fellowship with God. Our followers should be able to see Jesus in us. But this is not the case most of the time. Many of our ‘followers’ (if you can call them followers, since we aren’t leading properly and they aren’t following fully) will follow us as long as we agree with their thoughts, but their respect of us is so low that a disagreement will, in many cases, cause them to leave and try to find leadership in another place.
Why is their respect for leadership so low? I think the fault lies mostly with us leaders. How can we expect them to be in a spiritually grown state when we aren’t there ourselves. And how can full-time ministers expect layman to approach a grown spiritual state in their busy lives when ministers, in their vocation, are not developed?
Its amazing to me that businessmen seem to be much more motivated then ministers. And their motivation is temporal money, but ours is love. How shameful that money is a greater motivation to diligence then God’s love. May God help us. May God fill us with His Love. When we are full of His love it will compel us to do the good work of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Amen
Hal Chaffee 