The Log on the Fire
I am reading the book St. Peter's Principles. Leadership for Those Who Already Know Their Incompetence.
The thesis of the book, "Christian leaders who recognize their incompetence, are more fit to lead because they must daily die to Christ and rely on Him for guidance." In each chapter, the author examines a principle that, when applied wrong, can cause the leader to fall or fail; applied in the light/flame of Christ; we will find a servant leader, standing firm in faith and leading as a servant.
In my reading this morning, the chapter title reads, "The Log on the Fire," which seems strange for a book on leadership.
Picture the scene; you are standing around a roaring campfire, multiple logs glow from being consumed. But then one by one, the logs are pulled from the center of the fire, quickly what once was a roar, turned into individual fading flames. Together they were more than they were apart.
"The incompetence of a leader's self-sufficiency is a natural tendency. We can easily believe that we are not like others who need accountability, fellowship, and encouragement."
The author, Peter Lillback, elaborated this way:
"The St. Peter's Principle we need here is that we must love the brotherhood of believers. Fellowship in the body of Christ is essential to principled leadership. Jesus' band of disciples did not just make teaching several students at once convenient, but what necessary to foster a community of learning, support, and accountability. Jesus' cohort underscores our need to be connected, to be strengthened and corrected by the modeling and teaching we gain by being spiritual logs burning brightly together in our common faith and commitments."
"The higher you rise in leadership, the greater the need to have spiritual logs burning with you to keep your spiritual passion for integrity burning brightly."
"Leadership logs removed from the fire of fellowship soon grow spiritually cold and will fail to inspire those they lead."
There are many things we can do as leadership teams to move an organization forward. However, there is none more critical that walking together as spiritual brothers, burning and shining brighter together than we can apart.
Our roaring fire is 'us' together.
The challenge for leaders who desire to lead from the out-flowing of their faith is, who is your band of brothers, whom you have given permission to pull you back into the fire?
I have given permission to two groups of men to help me and told them:
If you see me fading, pull me back into the fire.
If you see me acting in a non-Christ-like manner, pull me back into the fire.
If you see me being selfish, pull me back into the fire.
If you see me____________.
It is the close relationship of believers together that make the individual and the group a blazing witness for the good of others and the glory of God.
