Follower-ship

It occurs to me that one may purchase any number of books on Leadership, but I have yet to see a book on Follower-ship. (I just coined a new word) I have a library full of great material on the subject of being a great leader, ethics, development, etc. However, I believe there should be more emphasis, and more books on how to be a good follower. That includes all of us.

Remember Jesus said, "Take up your cross and follow me." Following is a discipline, if done correctly. Obviously there are blind followers who pay no attention to where they are being led. There are followers who follow because, 'we've always done it this way', and there are followers who haven't a clue about anything. That is not what I am talking about here.

On the flip side there are great followers who have the following characteristics.

1. They follow a person who knows where he is going. To simply walk around and around the same old mountain forever is not progress. To have an organization that is content to 'hold its own' is not progress or leadership. But to find someone with a vision, a purpose and a sincere passion for that purpose is heartwarming indeed. There is nothing better than to be behind someone with an awesome destiny. Nothing can stop them! You can sense a calling in a person's life. The old adage reminds, "Some are called, some are sent, some just picked up their bags and went." In time you can tell which is which.

2. Follow someone who is held within the parameters of righteousness. Paul said, "Follow me as I follow Christ." Now get this straight. If you demand perfection, you will never follow anyone. You will likely be one who bounces from church to church, maybe even tries to start his own church, but always comes down to pointing at other's failures and whining about how 'hurt' you are. Even Paul, the one who urged others to follow him, admitted to his own failures. He called himself a wretched man. He admitted that the things he did not want to do...were the very things he did! Yes, Paul said that! The same man who put himself up as good enough to be followed. The point is, the person you follow must have a track record that continues toward a great destiny, despite momentary set-backs. There will be some 'wobbles and bobbles' in every life under the microscope, but that doesn't render them useless or unworthy of being followed.

3. Follow with your mouth shut. I love the story of Jericho. There, God commanded the people to march around the city six times without making a sound. On the seventh day, the seventh time around they all shouted and blew the trumpets to witness a great victory. However, the most difficult days must have been to march, to follow, without saying anything. I am sure they must have wanted to question Joshua. "This is not how we have waged war in the past!" "Josh, can't we stop for a sandwich...I am weary." "Man, this is the craziest thing I have ever seen." Somehow, they held their peace and followed. You know the rest of the story.

4. A great follower must be able to lay aside opportunities to exalt himself above his leader. Every leader has weaknesses. His or her area of weakness may be your exact area of strength. Having the ability to hold the reins on your pride, when you might have the opportunity to 'one up' your leader, is a mark of a great follower. Great followers do all they can to help their leader, to encourage, to forgive, to assist them through difficulty. Remember David could have humiliated Saul...and he probably deserved it. But the man of God had training and respect to be a great follower. Great leaders usually have been through the school of Follower-ship.

Great followers are perhaps more rare than great leaders. Think about this and let me know what you think.

Pastor T