1 Peter 5:1 – 4 “As a fellow elder, a witness of Christ’s sufferings, and a partaker of the glory to be revealed, I appeal to the elders among you: Be shepherds of God’s flock that is among you, watching over them not out of compulsion, but because it is God’s will; not out of greed, but out of eagerness; not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock. and when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away.”
His voice was like thunder as he interviewed his quaking assistant pastor and the church secretary! “How DARE you take that decision without asking my advice? How can you possibly know ANYTHING?”
Was this a question of church doctrine or a possible mishandling of a sensitive ministry situation? Unfortunately, no. That morning the assistant pastor had asked the church secretary to buy some toilet paper; unfortunately, the type favored by the Senior Pastor was unavilable. Wishing to make it to the office on time, the secretary had bought a cheaper brand. And now the Senior Pastor was infuriated, all over toilet paper.
“Ridiculous!” you say. “Surely nobody could behave so badly over such a tiny problem.” Sadly, such scenes are all too common. Abraham Lincoln is quoted as having said, “Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man’s character, give him power.”
We once belonged to a congregation in a large urban area. We were preparing to return to the misson field at a time when one family in the congregation suffered a tragic house fire in which they lost all their possessions. When the call went out through the congregation for people to donate household items, we felt very glad to be able to donate some of the things we would otherwise have put into storage. Imagine our shock and dismay when we learned that the elders in the congregation had picked over all of the donated items. leaving only the dregs for this poor family who had lost everything! For the remainder of our stay in that city, we found it extremely difficult to accept the authority of these elders when they were addressing the church on spiritual matters. As these men would pontificate, vivid memories of their ruthlessly pillaging the donated items for their own benefit made it nearly impossible to accept their authority. ABUSE OF AUTHORITY AND DEMONSTRATIONS OF GREED CAN DRIVE PEOPLE AWAY FROM JESUS!
Here Peter is gently reminding all the church elders that even though he is one of the original twelve disciples and even though he personally witnesed Jesus’ suffering, death, and resurrection, he has refused to lord it over them. If Peter, who has tremendous clout, has humbled himself, then all the other elders need to be humble and gentle, shepherding those entrusted to them.
If you are a Christian boss, then you should take Jesus as your model and not Nero! Think about it. Jesus took twelve men, several of whom were semi-educated fishermen, and molded them into disciples. Even Judas, who later betrayed Jesus, originally went out and preached about the kingdom and did miracles and cast out demons. Jesus was the Son of God and could do miracles. Jesus knew the human heart. Jesus could have been as intimidating as he wished and he would have had the right…..but he didn’t choose to do that. Instead, Jesus gently and persistently brought his disciples along, nudging them, urging them, encouraging them, perhaps even laughing with them. And those were the men who went out after Jesus’ ascension, preaching the kingdom and changing the world.
Intimidation accomplishes only two things: your subordinates will become paralyzed and will refuse to take initiative for fear of reprisals and if given a chance, your subordinates will leave! And there is one other thing: Some day you will stand before the Chief Shepherd and answer for the way in which you have handled those whom God has entrusted to your care. On that day, what will that Chief Shepherd say? Will He say, “Receive your crown of glory that will never fade away” or will He say, “Depart from me! I never knew you!” Authority comes from God and is to be handled gently and sensitively, without greed or self – seeking. Choose your behavior wisely, for you are choosing for eternity.
PRAYER: Father God, let these teachings sink into our hearts! Let us remember that Jesus came as a suffering Servant to seek and save the lost, not as a tyrant to dominate and intimidate. In Jesus’ mighty Name we pray. Amen.
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