07.06 | See Your Leaders
1 Thessalonians 5:12-28
‘We ask you, brothers, to respect those who labor among you and are over you in the Lord and admonish you, and to esteem them very highly in love because of their work. Be at peace among yourselves.’
1 Thessalonians 5:12-13
I’ve heard it said that people don’t leave jobs; they leave bosses.
A lot of you will know what I mean. The difference between a boss who treats you with dignity and care and trust from a micro-managing, manipulative or critical leader is enormous. It can be the difference between a role of fulfilment and joy, or one of considerable damage to your mental wellbeing.
Such realities team up with the trends of a consumer culture, which has attuned us to habitual critique, to lead to us to a posture that is often critical or skeptical of our leaders. Often we have quicker answers for what they do wrong than we do for what they are doing well.
The church is not exempt from this. No church is perfect, and so picking flaws is always possible. And it’s easy for us to pin these on our church leaders.
If only they were more dynamic. If only they were more pastoral. If only they were better at speaking to big groups. If only they were better at speaking to individuals. If only they were more up to speed on current affairs, or social media trends, or more engaged with the elderly or more engaged with the children.
Into our context, Paul’s words to us today feel surprising. Even uncomfortable. To paraphrase:
Respect your leaders.
Think of them very highly.
In love.
I think we’d be more comfortable here if Paul gave a list of preferable behaviour for our leaders.1 I think we’d be more comfortable if he gave a thorough critique of bad leadership.2 I think we’d be more comfortable if he joined us, exhorting our leaders to get their game face on and lead us more effectively.
But he doesn’t. He doesn’t even address this part of the letter to the leaders. He wants to speak to those being led. He wants to turn the conversation from what kind of environment the leaders are creating for the people to what kind of environment the people are creating for the leaders.
He is giving them agency as culture creators, whose actions will or will not lead to the flourishing of their leaders.
Have a look at his words.
Who labour. The word for ‘labour’ here, has the sense of working to the point of exhaustion. Do your leaders look energised and alive, or fatigued and beaten up? Is it possible that their leadership would improve through your kindness far more than your critique?
Among you and over you. We often think of our leaders as ‘above’ us. But Paul here positions the leaders both over and among—their role exists in the interactive tension between having authority and being one of the family. Leadership can be isolating, but leaders need to belong to the community as well. We may view our leaders as fathers or mothers, but Paul reminds us that they are brothers and sisters too. There will be many times when they love and serve and pray for us. But there will also be times when they need us to love and serve and pray for them.
In love. Do we actually love our leaders, or do we just analyse their leadership performance? Love is so different. Love draws together great honour with great desire and choice for their wellbeing. Love sees their intrinsic value as a human being before seeing their material value to you as the one being led.
Respect. Maybe the word that most beautifully ties this all together. More literally, this word is one of the Greek words for ‘see’. See your leaders. See who they are. See their humanity and their brokenness, see their hopes and their brililance. See what they carry as burden and see what they carry as gifted vocation. See who they are, rather than critiquing who they are not.
We live in a moment where both the exposure and critique of abusive, toxic, and superficial leadership has been greatly needed. There is a very real place for this, and the Scriptures are full of such admonitions and teachings.3 But amidst the stories of failure and pain and controversy, thousands of humble and goodhearted leaders continue to serve their employees and teams and churches, doing their imperfect best within their own gifting and limitations. Paul hands us an interruptive challenge today.
Will we critique from a distance?
Or will we slow down, see them, and love?
Reflect:
See your leaders. What might we do to create an environment in which they can thrive?
Pray:
Father,
Today I pray for those who lead me.
Would you enrich their lives today;
Would you reveal to them greater knowledge of your love.
Would you give them creativity and energy,
Rest and flourishing,
Peace and joy,
That they may walk lightly and freely,
And their leadership be from the atmosphere of your love.
And for me, dear Father,
I bring you today my disappointments and hurts:
Heal me.
And I bring you my hands and words and life again:
Help me to build an environment in which my leaders may flourish;
Give me creativity, patience, and great love.
Holy Spirit, heal and empower me for this work.
In Jesus’ Name,
Amen
Old Testament:
For those also reading the Old Testament this year, your additional readings are here:
2 Kings 6:24-8:29 | Proverbs 16:10-15
He does this elsewhere — have a look at 1 Timothy 3:1-13 and Titus 1:5-9.
As Jesus does in Matthew 23, or God does through the prophet Ezekiel, in Ezekiel 34:1-10
In addition to the other passages in these footnotes, 1-2 Samuel, the entire books of 1-2 Kings, 1-2 Chronicles, Judges, or pretty much any of the Old Testament prophets cover the damaging effects of toxic leadership in significant detail. Jesus’ critique of the Pharisees and His vision for humble community (e.g. Matthew 18) give us ample material for His interpretation and application of all this.