What Leaders Do 7 April 2008

1 Peter 5:1-14
Monday, 7 April 2008

In the 19th century, Lord Acton offered a despairing assessment of leadership: "Power tends to corrupt; absolute power corrupts absolutely. Great men are almost always bad men." And while my own optimism as well as my sense of a call to leadership urge the rejection of the generalization, my experience with people in power confirms that they can be dangerous in the absence of checks and balances.

Last week when we began 1 Peter, I asserted that the letter represents the activation of the gospel in the life of the believer. And in this closing passage, we see a charge to those in the Christian community who hold positions of authority. From one leader to the others, the writer seeks to convey the fundamental differences between worldly power and Christian leadership. Remember that the church was at that very moment experiencing persecution at the hands of an unjust and unchecked government. They of all people understood the dangerous arrogance that power can engender. Against this backdrop, Peter offered a riff on a perspective that Jesus articulated when he equated leadership with service in the kingdom of God. Note that before Peter asked the church to respect and follow elders' leadership, he instructed the elders to be good for and to the people. Feed the flock; keep watch over them for their souls' sake; be an example. That's what real leaders do.

I often say that all of us are leaders in one venue or another. All of us, without regard to our position in the church, have spheres of influence and arenas of power. I pray that we might be encouraged in those spaces to exhibit the characteristics of caring and humility that distinguish Jesus' people from everyone else. And while it may be the case that we sometimes find ourselves corrupted by power, we would do well to remember that no human power is ever absolute. Indeed, Peter's last words before signing the letter are "To [God] be the power for ever and ever." Great Christian leaders all say "Amen."

Sing, "All Hail the Power of Jesus' Name"

Let us pray:
Sovereign of All, we acknowledge your ultimate authority, in heaven and on earth. You are God above all; you reign over all. Allow us to take heed to our charge to serve you and to minister to others in the myriad spaces of our influence and authority. May we always humble ourselves so that we might be accepted by you, through Jesus our Lord. Amen