Earlier this week, my Spanish teacher Julio and I spent a little time studying Luke 11, verses 17-53. After reading and discerning what Jesus was trying to convey to the Pharisees and His disciples, I could not help but see a great guide for leaders (coaches, teachers, pastors, parents, etc..). In this passage, Jesus had clearly decided that it was time to expose the hypocritical ways of the Pharisees. While doing so, it appears to me that we can use this passage for improvement in leadership. Here are the 6 Woes of a leader:
1. (Verses 39-41) Are we Gilded? Do we spend most of our time trying to look good on the outside, while we neglect our soul. I personally had a problem with this early on as a head coach. It was easy to focus so much on how we present ourselves as a program, rather than focusing on the little things each day that develop character and love for each other. Also, as a coach, we can easily deprive ourselves because we are always trying to fill everyone else’s love tank while our tank is becoming empty. We cannot give what we do not have ourselves. We may look good walking around campus, at our workplace or at home, but are we really empty inside. The Pharisees looked really nice walking around in their robes, but as Jesus said, they were rotten inside.
2. (Verse 42) Are we all about the game and winning? I know that you will not only keep your job, but also get a lot of accolades if you win a lot of games, but is that what it is all about. What is our purpose? Is it to spread the Gospel and disciple young men/women? Is it to multiple the kingdom? In my last few years as a head coach I started to really understand the influence of a coach. In that influence, are we bringing people to heaven with us? Jesus told the Pharisees that they were all about the law and traditions, but had no care for their subordinates or colleagues. Law or love? What’s our focus?
3. (Verses 43,44) Are we always directing or are we serving? Are we willing to do what we are telling our players to do? Do we subscribe to the philosophy that “we already did our time as a student and now it is our time to tell people how to do it?” If so, we are going to be a temporary director of information. Jesus clearly told and showed us that a leader must “wash the feet” of those that he is leading. Although absolutely contrary to our world today, it is the only way that will provide the results that a kingdom-minded leader would want. The Pharisees were all about shaking hands and kissing babies, but Jesus told them that never held a hand out to help their fellow brother.
4. (Verse 46) Do we load others with burdens in order to lighten our load? This is a trap that so many coaches fall into as their careers extend in to the double-digit years. I always hear from coaches that “a good coach is a good delegator.” Although to some extent that is true (we should not do everything and micromanage), it is very important that we are the first to work and the last one to leave. It is important that we do not expect our assistants to carry the load of the menial jobs. We really show our true colors in the amount and type of work that we do as leaders. Jesus was disgusted with the fact that the Pharisees had no problem giving others too much to handle while they sat and watched.
5. (Verses 47-51) How much time do we spend recognizing the past? Do we like to build, spend money and resources on our past accomplishments? Do we spend most of our time talking about the great players or teams of the past? Remember, we have young men women right in front of us now that have the potential to be the next great pastor, doctor, missionary, teacher, manager or coach? Are we pouring into their souls each and every moment we have the opportunity? Are we Martha or Mary? Are we seizing the moment with our new flock or too busy recognizing our accomplishments? Do we have a new slogan/scripture for the season on our warm-up shirt or are we wearing a shirt that has all the accomplishments of the past on it? Build up souls, not monuments! Jesus tells us that we will be held responsible, not for what monuments we can erect or trophies we can hold up, but who we loved and shared the Good News. The Pharisees were all about the bling.
6. (Verse 52) Do we foster development in our assistants, captains, employees, etc..? Do we include them in everything so that they can be a leader in the future? Or do we hide our secrets to success and experiences? I have seen so many coaches, managers, parents, teachers and other leaders keep everything they have learned to themselves. What a shame? We have this fear inside that the person next to us or the person that will succeed us will be better. True discipleship is giving everything you have to the person in front of you with the hope that they share the Good News with twice as many people as you did. Share everything that worked well in your experience and also the stuff that did not work out. How many of us would share our secrets with our opponents or competitors? If not, who are you really hurting? You are hurting the people who could be better coached if you shared with their coach, boss, or parent. What did Jesus do right after He scorned the Pharisees in these passages? He warned and encouraged His disciples about the future. He coached them up as best He could so that when He was gone they would succeed in spreading the Good News.
The world tells us that a leader is someone that directs others to do the dirty work so that they can continue to gain more and more power. The world tells us to work really hard early in life so that you can be a leader someday and cruise into retirement. Jesus tells us differently. In fact, he explains to us in John 13 that it is the total opposite. We should look so different as Christian leaders that we stick out like a sore thumb.
"Love is doing what will enthrall the beloved with the greatest and longest joy. What will enthrall the beloved this way is the glory of God. Love means doing all we can, at whatever cost to ourselves, to help people be enthralled with the glory of God. When they are, they are satisfied and God is glorified. Therefore loving people and glorifying God are one."
-John Piper
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