Leadership & Insecurities
Society has explicit and implicit standards, especially for leaders. This causes leaders to feel pressured to portray an image that is inconsistent with who they actually are.
We often present a public image of always being strong and spiritually fit. We hide behind our insecurities to execute our assigned tasks. We feel guilty for not measuring up to whatever or whoever we compare ourselves to though scripture cautions us that “…they measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise.” (2 Cor 10:12 KJV)
Throughout scriptures we discover that God often used the seemingly weak and unqualified people to fulfill His purpose and to display His glory, power and strength.
The Bible does not spin the flaws and weaknesses of its heroes. Jeremiah and Timothy were too young. Jonah ran from God. Noah got drunk. David was an adulterer. Thomas doubted. Moses murdered, stuttered and had a temper. Peter denied Jesus!
Spotlighting – David the man after God’s heart, not only did he commit adultery with Bathsheba, he went on to murder her husband. Talk about scandal! How many of us would not have erased that from the history books forever lest the name of God be reproached?
While most of us would have pleaded for such an act to be excluded from our biography, David DID NOT. Rather, he used his absolute power as king to ensure the details of his colossal failure were published in the history books as a lesson for all future generations!
The amazing revelation is that, God used all the people listed above to send a central message that you can be gifted, skilled and graced and yet have some shortcomings. However, your weaknesses and insecurities are not to prevent you from accomplishing great things for God or point you away from Him but rather to draw you closer to Him.
If you’ve ever wondered if somehow other leaders have escaped imperfections, now you know that no one is exempted. We are all flawed. Our insecurities should serve the purpose of making us aware of the need to depend on God.
Dear leader, the presence of weaknesses, insecurities, and imperfections are not to make you look down on yourself or feel undervalued. It is to make you lose faith in yourself and your abilities and to be perpetually dependent on God for His divine empowerment!
Henceforth like Paul you will also be able to say “… I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me … for when I’m weak then I am strong.” (2 Corinthians 12:9 -10 NIV)