1 Timothy 3:1 applauds the pursuit of leadership saying, “Here is a trustworthy saying: If anyone sets his heart on being an overseer (elder), he desires a noble task.†Compare that with the words of James 3:1 where it warns that “Not many of you should presume to be teachers, my brothers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly.†Leadership is a sticky issue. On the one side, it is a noble task and those who desire to lead should be commended. Yet leaders are held to a higher standard and judged accordingly.
As such, those who would consider being leaders should do so thoughtfully and humbly, because the cost is very high. This is the first in a series (assuming I ever get around to writing down others) of reflections on Biblical leadership and its cost.
Last night in our devotionals, Kim and I read 2 Samuel 24. This chapter is the retelling of a story where David authorizes Joab and the army commanders to go throughout all the land of Israel and count the fighting men (all males of age to fight in the army). Upon returning from a nearly 10 month trip around Israel, they returned to King David with their report.
Then verse 10 states, “David was conscience-stricken after he had counted the fighting men, and he said to the Lord, ‘I have sinned greatly in what I have done. Now, O Lord, I beg you, take away the guilt of your servant. I have done a very foolish thing.’†See, while the Lord commanded David to take a census, it was a very different thing to take a census of just the fighting men. That count was driven by David’s pride in the greatness of his kingdom and desire to take satisfaction in the security of the strength of his army, not by obedience to a command of the Lord.
David confesses his sin, but still must pay the consequences. The Lord sends Gad, the prophet, to David with the choice of three punishments. “So God went to David and said to him, ‘Shall there come upon you three years of famine in your land? Or three months of fleeing from your enemies while they pursue you? Or three days of plague in your land? Now then, think it over and decide how I should answer the one who sent me’†(verse 13).
Now, you may be thinking, those are all really terrible punishments for something as seemingly miniscule as taking a census of the fighting men. But even if David must be punished for his sin, all three of these punishments are not just directed against David, but against all of Israel. How is that fair of God to punish all Israel for David’s sin?
Yet that is exactly the leadership lesson to be learned. Just as Israel was punished for the sin of David, so also when leaders fail, all those under the leader pay the price. Like I said at the beginning, leaders should take inventory of the costs associated with their leadership to decide whether or not this is something they are interested in. Because if and when you screw up, confess though you might, those under you will suffer.
As Uncle Ben told Peter Parker in Spiderman (and then the line was repeated several times), “With great power comes great responsibility.†Leaders are responsible for those under them. When they fail, all pay the price.
