Leadership has become a buzz topic in our world.
A quick Google search for leadership conference alone returns over 400 million different options, and that’s not counting the thousands, if not millions, of leadership books, training seminars, schools, blogs and mentorship programs for which you can sign up.
Businesses spend millions to bring in quality leaders.
Schools provide seminars to develop leadership in their teachers.
Hotels and restaurants and nonprofit organizations pay for employees to learn better leadership skills.
Even churches teach the necessity of being a leader everywhere you go.
Everyone wants to be a leader.
Leadership is a position of honor.
It’s a position of power.
It’s a guarantee that you will make a mark on the world.
It’s more prestigious than being a servant.
More respected than being a follower.
And is a sign that you’ve arrived.
Leadership is a driving purpose for many.
“You shall have no other gods before me.” Exodus 20:3
Leadership in and of itself is not a bad thing. Going to conferences, buying books and trying to become a better steward of your leadership gift aren’t wrong. Answering the call to be a leader isn’t an act of sin.
But when leadership is all we talk about, when it’s all we focus on, when our heart’s desire is to become a leader of any size organization, business or group, we elevate it to a place leadership was never meant to be.
An idol.
It becomes a source of identity.
It pushes to be a life goal.
It tells us we’re too good to vacuum floors or scrub toilets or serve someone else’s vision.
It causes us to leave our church, our business or our organization if that leadership role is denied.
Exalting leadership above all else denies us the power of truly serving God.
God calls us first and foremost His children.
He calls us to serve.
He calls us to take up our cross and follow Him.
Even if the means we’ll never hold a leadership role.
Being a leader should never be our purpose, our drive or our heart’s desire.
That role belongs to God alone.
How have you seen leadership become an idol in your life or the lives of those around you?