Читать книгу The Grand Sweep - Large Print - J. Ellsworth Kalas - Страница 97

Seeing Life Through Scripture

I wonder how many times in our lives you and I will be parties to a change in leadership? Not too many of us will play a strategic role at a governmental level, though some will. But all of us will be involved at other, often highly personal, levels. It happens, as I indicated earlier, in the circle of family. It also happens in churches and in church school classes and groups. Sometimes we are lead characters in the change; more often we are among those who respond, and who by our response determine whether or not the change will be successful.

We give power to leaders. At best, it is by our conscious support; but at other times, by our acquiescence. Often poor leadership is sustained simply because the body goes along with it. And sometimes good leaders are frustrated by persons who carp and complain without really knowing what issues are involved.

A Christian ought to be the best of followers as well as the most significant of leaders. Leaders come and go, removed in some cases by vote, sometimes by death, sometimes by weariness. Then new leaders arise, sometimes again by vote, and sometimes by little more than because life abhors a vacuum. How does a Christian fit into the political process, if one truly believes that all of life is lived under God? I speak not only of the larger body politic, but of all the groups to which we belong; how do we belong effectively when a Moses must be followed by some Joshua?

The Sum of It All

“As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will not fail you or forsake you” (Joshua 1:5).