Reflections from “The Steward Leader” on 6/8/10
This is the great challenge of the Adventist church. We are defined by what we do or even more so by what we don’t do. We have not yet learned to be defined by what we are. This same distinction is found in the Romans 12:1-3 where we find these words (and I am paraphrasing slightly) be ye transformed by the renewing of your minds and be ye not conformed to this world. But what most of us have been taught to do, even as leaders is to conform.
If we use this method that brought success for someone else, if we preach like . . ., teach like . . . pray like . . . keep the Sabbath like . . . then we are sure to find success. And so we spend much of our lives trying to conform to others in our society, in our church, in our homes, etc. and even some of us try to conform to Jesus. WWJD, is a subtle invitation to conform instead of being transformed.
The difference between transformation and conformation is found in the greek words from which these two are translated. To be conformed is to be made into the likeness of, but does not connote an inner change. To be transformed is to become like the object or person being copied from the inside out. It is a fundamental change in character and composition.
As leaders as long as we are driven by success from a quantitative perspective, the temptation to conform rather than transform will always be overwhelming, overpowering and pretty much overmastering.
My father told me many years ago, that a bird flies because it is a bird, not to prove to others that it is a bird. To be a leader who leads as a steward leader we must become steward leaders and not simply adopt a set of behaviors so that others will believe that we are steward leaders. This is our challenge and when we find ourselves either acting differently from what we profess or being seriously tempted to act other than what we profess (to be steward leaders), then we must recognize again that the transformation is not complete and ask God to continue the process in us.
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This is a very interesting reflection and your observation as you say " As leaders as long as we are driven by success from a quantitative perspective, the temptation to conform rather than transform will always be overwhelming, overpowering and pretty much overmastering" But I wish you explained to the reader what you mean by quantitative perspective.
ReplyDeleteI was trying to say that we often judge success in terms of how much we have accomplished, how much we have acquired or the number of relationships we have established. This is a quantitative view of life. I once owned a t-shirt that read, "he who has the most toys wins." This unfortunately is the quantitative view of life.
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