Readings for today: Romans 15-16, Psalms 140
No person is an island. No Kingdom leader every goes it alone. As one celebrity Christian leader falls after another, it is good for us to reflect on Paul’s words from Romans 16. Paul is surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses. The burden of Paul’s work is shared by many. The names are listed for all to see. Phoebe. Pricilla and Aquila. Epenetus. Mary. Andronicus and Junia. Ampliatus. Urbanus and Stachys. These are just a few of the leaders Paul surrounded himself with as he carried the gospel throughout the Mediterranean basin. We also know he journeyed with Barnabus, Luke, John Mark, and several others. The early church was wise to set apart teams of missionaries rather than commission these men to go out on their own.
We would do well to follow their example. We live in a culture that celebrates the myth of the self-made woman or man. The woman who does it all. She has a fast-track career. Perfect kids. Volunteers on the local school board and teaches Bible study at church. The man who does it all. He climbs the corporate ladder. Prays with his kids every night. Serves his wife sacrificially. And is a leader in the community. We celebrate these women and men. We place them on pedestals. We follow them on social media. We read their books and take their advice. We seek to emulate them in all we do. Then they fail. They fall. They have an affair. They embezzle money. Their carefully curated public persona comes crashing down. And we are shattered.
Why do these things happen? The pattern is now fairly clear. These men and women start to isolate themselves. They separate from their team. They believe their own hype. They put themselves beyond any kind of real accountability. The results are disastrous.
Friends, Kingdom-work is teamwork. Not even the Son of God could do it by himself! Throughout the Scriptures, we see the great leaders of the Bible sharing authority. Moses raises up elders to serve alongside he and Joshua. David has an abundance of counselors to share the load. Jesus calls 12 disciples and the Apostle Paul thanks numerous people at the end of his letters for their support and encouragement and labor in the work of the gospel.
Who’s on your team? With whom do you share the burdens of life? Are you and your spouse a team in your home? Do you give your children as much authority and responsibility as they can handle as they grow up? Do you share leadership at work? Are you intentionally raising up leaders to take your place? Do you give people around you the freedom to fail and learn from their failures? Do you empower your team to make real decisions and then hold them accountable? Do you submit yourself to accountability? These things are critical if you are going to do God’s work over the long haul.
For my part, I am deeply grateful for a group of elders who hold me accountable. They ask about my marriage. They pray for my family. They are not afraid to tell me no. I am deeply grateful for a wife who is a true partner in life and ministry. She gets in my face. Doesn’t believe the hype. Brings me back to earth when I need it. I am thankful for my children and the honest relationships we are cultivating with each other. I am thankful for the staff and colleagues I work alongside who ask great, probing, personal questions that make me reflect deeply on life.
Readings for tomorrow: 1 Corinthians 1-2, Psalms 141 (No devotionals on Sundays)