That day the Lord exalted Joshua in
the sight of all Israel;
and they stood in awe of him all the days of his life,
just as they had stood in awe of Moses.
Joshua 4:14
Have you ever been given a position of
authority, then chastised, challenged, and humbled in front the people you’re
supposed to lead? It’s humiliating. It strips you of power. You are demoted in
their eyes. They lose respect for you and doubt your ability to be in charge.
The opposite is true when your boss or
partner praises your work, publicly defers to you in decision-making, and sends
others your way for instructions and advice.
God did this for Joshua. He made it
obvious to everyone that Joshua was the boss—His chosen leader for the nation.
That was crucial. Joshua needed the people’s trust in order to accomplish his
assignment in taking over the Promised Land. And because God put His stamp of
approval on him, the people gave Joshua their wholehearted support.
If we show respect for our boss the
way we talk about him or her when they’re not around, it builds team spirit. This
is hard when we don’t agree with how they run things, but we can still show
respect for their position. And if we listen to their instruction, accept their
advice—as long as it is lawful and true—and honor them in person, others will
follow our example.
This is important in marriage as
well. Supporting each another in front of our children, even if we disagree in
private, helps our children to respect and obey both parents. But if we bicker
and openly insult our partner’s abilities and decisions, our children will copy
our behavior. Sitcom humor has no place in a godly home.
Our church leaders especially need our respect. Attacks
from within the church are often more brutal than the ones from without. Satan
delights when God’s children bite and devour each other over petty matters. None
of our pastors and leaders is perfect; they all have weaknesses, just like us.
Instead of complaining to them or
grumbling about them to others, we
need to honor our God-given leaders.
If they are doing wrong or preaching untruth,
Jesus has given us a procedure to follow: going to them in private—one on one,
then with witnesses, and finally before the church (Matt. 18:15) until the
matter is resolved.
Who needs your prayers today: your
pastor, boss, spouse? Have they been under attack and their authority
challenged and weakened? Have you shown them honor and respect? If not, ask God to forgive you, and ask them to forgive you
as well. Resolve to encourage them so their job is a delight. God can
accomplish His will in our homes, workplaces, and churches if we will exalt our
leaders.
God has appointed them for such a time
as this. Those whose hearts are dedicated to God will lead us to victory in our
land.
Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil
with good.
Romans 12:21
#honorleaders #supportyourpastor #prayerwalking
#spiritualwarfare #claimingterritory #halloween #AllSaintsDay #Joshua4 #Rom12:21
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