Today was not a good day for coaches in the world of sports.  The sports reporting probably enjoyed it but not for very admirable reasons.  One coach or manager will spend the next five days off work because of comments he made about Fidel Castro.  You just cannot say you admire a Cuban dictator when your job is in Miami.  He apologized in two languages today but it may not be enough in the end.  The other just got relieved of his duties as the head football coach at a major university.  I was going to summarize his problems but did not know where to even begin.  The bottom line is his success as a coach fell far short of his being a decent human being.  Even the most popular or gifted of leaders are fully capable of making enormous mistakes.


Maybe some of this is our fault.  Let me explain.  We look for and even crave leaders who are a step beyond perfect in every area of life.  Not much room is left any longer for people to be just people.  Coaches are to be the very image of perfection both publicly and privately.  The other problem is we overlook any failings as long as they win games for our team.  We do that in politics, business or in sports.  My view is people want that charismatic leader who never fails or shows any humanity.  Churches are falling prey to that urge far too often lately.  They want someone with all of the answers before questions are asked.  Believers look for someone who can do for them what either they cannot do or will not do.  Being led is far more than having another person do it for you.  This approach works for awhile but usually causes more problems than it solves.


My personal view of leadership revolves around the concept of what is called servant leadership.  It is not about being weak but being strong enough to withstand temporary temptations.  No person can just do it all in times of need.  You only invite exhaustion when you go down that road.  No person can really have all of the answers at any time.  Nowhere is this more true than in church.  Servant leadership is when one looks to God for direction or guidance.  It includes allowing others to develop as disciples.  Sometimes it may involve failures so that a greater victory may be won.  It puts other people first before the needs of the ego.  This style is seldom easy and almost never appreciated.  But it is the approach we desperately need in these days.


Jesus is obviously a model of this tactic with others.  No one can doubt His strength but it is always channeled to benefit others.  He does great miracles to be sure but also makes time for the outcast.  Even the end of His earthly life finds a focus beyond the moment.  The end of His work leads directly to lives being eternally changed.  Some would think of Jesus as a failure based on His death.  More than a few would ridicule Him for the methods used in ministry.  He never flinches no matter the pressure.  He is a servant.  Then the call will come to us to be a servant also.  How you doing with that?


Bro. Trey