leading

Church leadership can be hard. I’ve served a few terms as elder, and I admire those pastors who keep their cool in the face of too much emotion.

Moses could relate. This morning, in Numbers 11, I read about one of his trying times as leader of God’s people. Verses 10-15 read like this: “Moses heard the people of every family wailing at the entrance to their tents. The Lord became exceedingly angry, and Moses was troubled. He asked the Lord, ‘Why have you brought this trouble on your servant? What have I done to displease you that you put the burden of all these people on me? Did I conceive all these people? Did I give them birth? Why do you tell me to carry them in my arms, as a nurse carries an infant, to the land you promised on oath to their ancestors? Where can I get meat for all these people? They keep wailing to me, “Give us meat to eat!” I cannot carry all these people by myself; the burden is too heavy for me. If this is how you are going to treat me, please go ahead and kill me —if I have found favor in your eyes—and do not let me face my own ruin.’”

At the start of this chapter, the author notes that it was certain “rabble” that started all the grumbling. The complaint was about how boring it was to eat manna all the time.

Moses did what I’m always tempted to do: he felt sorry for himself. His complaints to God sound a lot like giving up. When God says he’ll give the people what they want, Moses can’t see how that would be possible. And then, this wonderful reply from God, in Numbers 11:23: “The Lord answered Moses, ‘Is the Lord 's arm too short? Now you will see whether or not what I say will come true for you.’”

I think maybe leadership, at church or anywhere else, starts to seem hard when I forget what I’m supposed to be doing. If I remember that God wants me to serve people, and I have a vision of things being better for others instead of myself, I always have more tolerance and more energy.

When I think about leadership as something great for me, to enhance my status or give me more control, or maybe make my life easier, I’m usually heading for frustration.

And when I see problems and think I have to solve them, instead of the team solving them or, better yet, the team following God to solve them, then leadership can start to look too hard.

I’m going to remember that when something good for God’s people seems out of reach to me: “Is the Lord’s arm too short?” Nothing, not even leading a church full of independent adults, is to hard for God.