Leaders

It’s been an interesting week. I’ve combined storm watching with convention watching. It’s hard to decide what was scarier. We have a strange way of selecting leaders in this country. We say anyone can grow up to be President and, I guess, theoretically that’s true. You would hope in a country of this many  million people that the “best” candidate would, like cream, rise to the top. The best man for the job, it would seem, should be obvious. 

Watching this weeks Republican convention and the responses to it demonstrated how deeply flawed the system is. Roughly half of America thinks Mr. Romney should take over and roughly half believe President Obama should keep his job. Each half thinks the other half has lost its collective mind. A handful of folks who aren’t sure and who probably don’t care as much as the rest of us will make the decision.  It’s the tyranny of the undecided and uncommitted. We Christians will hang on to the hope that God is in control and He is guiding the whole process. Looking at the process makes that a real stretch of faith.

I am living through this process on a smaller scale in my church. Our pastor and his wife will be out of town on Sunday and a potential new pastor will conduct our service. Churches vary greatly in how the leader of the group is chosen. For some the decision is made by an outside authority. For us, our outgoing pastor nominates someone for the job, our Board confirms that nomination and we, the people, vote on the nomination. Unlike the Presidential election it’s a thumbs up or thumbs down decision. 

It’s a difficult situation because you don’t really know the new guy. Like the Presidential candidates, he’s put on his best while under consideration. Like the Presidential election, you really just have to pray and hope you hear from God on whether to stick your thumb up or down.  You get the feeling that your vote really doesn’t matter. You get swept up in the process. 

Just remember. God really is in control. God is the head of our government not the President. God is really the pastor of our church, no matter who holds the title or draws the salary. The important thing is not who gets elected, but that those of us who are affected recognize who the boss really is. 

Let’s pray that our new leaders, President and Pastor, recognize who the boss really is. Let’s pray that we won’t forget that either. Our salvation doesn’t come from the government or the church. It comes from the Lord. All men are flawed and are works in progress. Do you think it’s possible that God wants our leaders to be obviously imperfect, so that we will recognize who the real boss is?

Keep your eye on Jesus and

Be blessed.

Nick