In the past I have interacted with passionate, gifted young men and women who clearly have vision and drive that could take them very far. Their desires and passions are noble and worthy, clearly from God and yet something within me says ‘they’re not ready’. Why is that? Is it me being afraid to release those more gifted than me for fear of looking like a failure in comparison, or afraid that they’ll make a mess of it and I’ll have to clear it up? Or is it that I’d rather judge someone based on their character flaws, rather than their positives in order to make myself feel better about myself?
I’ll put my hand up and say yes to all those! I have been guilty in the past of not wanting to release someone, or being afraid to do so for fear of the consequences and what that would reflect on me. I must have wisdom of course, because I do still have a responsibility for those who will be influenced by this person too, BUT! If I restrict people unnecessarily then I am not acting according to the rule of love laid out by Jesus. Leaders should be those who love people the most – I don’t think we can get away with not doing that, at least not for very long. Colossians 3 lays out some basic principles for the way we are to interact with each other. “You must clothe yourselves with tender-hearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you…Above all, clothe yourselves with love.” (Col 3:12-14)
Above all, clothe yourselves with love! My mandate as a leader is no less than to love the people I lead. That doesn’t mean I always let them do what they want, but my under girding principle needs to be one of nurture and release – this often looks different for different people and I need wisdom in it, just as any parent needs wisdom in how to best love their kids, including discipline when necessary.
I need to want the best for someone, and the best is sometimes that I let them get on and try, never mind the consequences. I need to learn to love them for who they are, not for who they could become, or worse, hold onto the things that grate on me or concern me about them tighter than the things I need to encourage or bless them in. I am learning to remember that I was in their shoes once – and still am in lots of ways. I am very blessed to have people around me who cheer me on, telling me I’m doing well, pointing out my areas for improvement, but are loving me to go on. I need to remember to do the same for those I lead.
