The Gospel According to Matt

Currently the staff of our church is reading a book by Oswald Sanders called Spiritual Leadership.  It’s probably the fourth time i’ve read it and it is the single best work on Leadership I’ve ever read—that’s why  I keep returning to the “Well.”  As a church leader (and defacto community leader) the principle topic is of great interest.  I’m always trying to learn something about Leadership.

In my reading, as well as in my experience, I’ve discovered that real leadership means accepting responsibility rather than laying blame.  Placing blame does have it’s merits, but it’s more the work of analysts than of leaders.

For instance, I lead a church that was born from the ashes of one that died.  The original church had a season of growth and development, a season of health and stability, and a season of decline and death.  There are a plethora of reasons (and opinions) as to why the original church entered into a season of decline and ultimately death.  Certainly it’s important to understand some of those reasons (as they say: “those who don’t know history are doomed to repeat it”), but it’s more important to lead the new church into the future than to ruminate on the past.

That being said, I tire of all the “leaders” in our world who continue to place blame rather than to accept responsibility.  I’m weary of all the politicians, private citizens, and public voices who blame previous administrations (and/or current administrations) for our present problems but fail to take adequate measures to improve the present and future.

Every ounce of energy (and time) spent dwelling on the past, robs the present and the future of helpful solutions.  I’m looking for real, world-class leaders offering helpful solutions.  And frankly I’m having a hard time finding any.