Copyright 2013 Theresa Harvard Johnson
(I strongly urge you to read Part I of this article before digging into this part. This article is written specifically for seasoned leaders who have been seeking the Lord for strategies to keep order within the ministries entrusted to them. It identifies a subtle attack that the enemy is using in this hour to bring division and distort authority in the midst of core leadership groups. Christ maintained the proper relationship with his disciples – with each one of them, outside of the son of perdition knowing their boundaries and navigating humbly within them. It is with this respect and honor that I share, what the Lord has been teaching me personally in this area. You may also check out this series: The Devastating Effects of Approaching Leadership Casually and The Re-Emergence of Diotrephes)
In the previous post, we began examining blatant disrespect. Now, we’re going to go deeper. Please bear with me as we cut through to the root of this issue. I want to be sure that understanding comes and that there is no room for the adversary to jump in with another Gospel. Pride and false humility will tell us quickly that, “We don’t need this.” Yet, I am learning daily that I am never too mature in my spiritual walk to be reinforced in the foundations of the Word.
Matthew 7:12 CJBsays, “Always treatothers as you would like them to treat you; that sums upthe teaching of the Torah and the Prophets.”
Take some time to really meditate on this passage of scripture that Christ quoted in a confrontation with the elders and priests in the temple. We are going to go deeply into it near the end of this post. This fresh revelation that Father is bringing from it has blessed me so much. I pray that it blesses you as well.
You see, as we discuss this subject we must address that there is this prevailing place of entitlement among the Body in which some “mentees, spiritual children and students” demand that they are treated with respect – but they care so little about how they treat those who lead them. These same mentees, spiritual children and students demand grace and compassion in the midst of their maturation process, but fail to extend the same courtesy to those who lead them.
Where is the mutual respect or the understanding of authority?
You see, authority isn’t being “dictator over a person – only God has that kind of lordship.” It is simply saying I respect the mantle on your life under which God has released you to lead and guide me. It’s a child saying to a parent, “I recognize that you are the father and I am the son in this relationship.” It has absolutely nothing to do with a person being “better than” or “greater than” another.
I can’t teach this without giving practical examples. I mentored someone who met me in an apostolic-prophet environment. This person would often address me as Apostle Johnson like the other students in this atmosphere would do. A situation transpired in the midst of this relationship of which they were unable to obtain what they wanted from me. While there were no outward, obvious, disrespectful protests, this person would come in the midst of these environments that often included other students or leaders I was connected with and call me “Theresa.” Yet, they made sure that they addressed the other leaders who were also teachers in their midst as “Apostles, Prophets or Pastors.” (People of God, as you read this, please do not get caught up in the issue of using titles here. In the environment that I am speaking about here, this is how things are done. This post has nothing to do with using or not using titles. This is SOLELY an example. The point being made is so much higher than that entire conversation.)
This person had taken a REBELLIOUS, blatantly disrespectful, passive aggressive stand against me in their approach, and knew exactly what they were doing. In one instance, they became so angry with me that they said something like: “Listen here Theresa, I don’t think it’s fair that you are not allowing me to….” Believe me, I dealt with this as Father allowed. This is how far the seed of rebellion and bitterness had taken root. This student was literally saying to me, the teacher: “I don’t respect you and I want you to know it.” Yet, they continued to extend such reverence – so to speak – to other leaders in our sphere of influence and environment.
Now take a look at this:
Psychologists and psychiatrists will tell you that a passive aggressive person is someone who indirectly expresses negative feelings instead of openly addressing them. In other words, they secretly hate you or harbor offense concerning you and are getting you back in these little “nice-nasty” ways. While this is still blatant disrespect, it is done in a way that isn’t always as “visible or obvious” as it is in the examples provided in Part I of this teaching. It’s time go deeper and to expose this behavior in our ministries and then allow God to show us how to purge rebellion from its core out of our environments. Remember, this stronghold comes to KILL, STEAL & DESTROY you as a leader.
If you confront those walking in this on their actions, they will do everything they can – including unloading buckets of tears if they think they will work – to convince you and those around you that their actions have been misinterpreted. If they are not healed from this offense, rest assured that this behavior will escalate and manifest itself in other nice-nasty, BLATANT and disrespectful ways that have the power to bring down a core leadership group or that inner circle within the ministries entrusted to you. They will begin to unleash a Spirit of Chaos and Sabotage in your midst. (Check this article from Forbes Magazine, Passive Aggressive Behavior Will Destroy a Company’s Work Culture and the article series on Identifying and Releasing Chaotic People. )
1 Samuel 15:23a Complete Jewish Bible says, “For rebellion is like the sin of sorcery, stubbornness like the crime of idolatry…”
BLATANT DISRESPECT HAS ITS ROOTS IN REBELLION! PERIOD.
Romans 13:1-3 Complete Jewish Bible says,“Everyone is to obey the governing authorities. For there is no authority that is not from God, and the existing authorities have been placed where they are by God. Therefore, whoever resists the authorities is resisting what God has instituted; and those who resist will bring judgment on themselves.”
Hold this scripture in your heart, and be reminded that in this discussion we are not talking about a dictatorship where people blindly follow leaders and are enslaved by them. Again, this is about the abuse (yes, abuse) and maltreatment of Godly leaders.
Now, it time to go back to this scripture:
Matthew 7:12 CJBsays, “Always treatothers as you would like them to treat you; that sums upthe teaching of the Torah and the Prophets.”
One of the key words here is “treat” and in Greek/Hebrew understanding it is accurately translated as meaning “to be gracious, to be kind, and to be courteous or thoughtful.” Now get this: The Aramaic translation of this is to “extend hospitality to a person at the expense of your own comfort.” This people of God is the true meaning of the Word treat from God’s perspective – not man. Was this not the walk of Christ whom we profess?
Now, look at the second part of this scripture.
It reads, “…that sums up the teachings of Torah and the Prophets.” In most English translations of the Bible we will see the phrase the “law and the prophets.” But using the proper terminology here, which is Torah – not law, we can clearly see that we are talking about all the “teachings on the Word of God as a whole” as being the foundation of our faith – not just those things that we might consider to be law as it has been translated in our western religious culture. Torah indicates “all the word” and the term “mitzvah or mitzvot” indicates specific laws or commandments in the Word.
The significance of this passage of scripture is that it is referring specifically to this well-known and often quoted passage:
Matthew 22:38-40 CJB which says, “Rabbi, which of the mitzvoth (laws)in the Torah(the complete Word of God)is the most important? He told him, `You are to love ADONAI your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with or all your strength.’ This is the greatest and most important mitzvah. And a second is similar to it, `You are to love your neighbor as yourself.’ All of the Torah and the Prophets are dependent on these two mitzvot.“
What does all of this have to do with disrespect, respect and honor? People of God, it’s simple. RESPECT in the realm of the Spirit can also be defined in the scriptures as an act of the-GOD-kind-of-love. Part of the problem with understanding what it means to “respect leadership” is directly tied to UNDERSTANDING what it means to love God and love one another! When we treat leadership so DISRESPECTFULLY we are, in fact, disrespecting the Father who glories in or honors that vessel THAT HE IS USING or has used to BLESS YOUR LIFE! Romans 13 will take you deeply into this.
You see, too much of the WORLD lingers amid the Body. We walk around with a humanistic perspective of what it means to be disrespected, respected or honored – instead of seeking the deep things of the Word for clarity. So, when we war against disrespect in our ministries we are really coming against a REBELLION (JEZEBEL) against GOD’S LOVE.
2 Timothy 5:17 CJB. It reads: The leaders who lead well should be considered worthy of double honor,especially those working hardat communicating the Word and at teaching.
Before taking this further, I want to challenge you to remember what a leader looks like in the eyes of God. There is great distortion in this area. Now, we could go back and examine the mitzvah for being a “priest” or we can take a look at the qualifications of a leader in 1 Timothy 3. The point here is simple: A leader is someone who walks in godly character and integrity to lead you in the things of God with wisdom and UNDERSTANDING – for examples look at the life of Christ and later that of the emissaries Peter, James and John, and Paul. According to scripture, these leaders are representative of priests, kings, elders, etc. who have been appointed by God over us in some capacity (in a healthy, godly way) to guide you in your life. Today, these people may serve in your life as your natural parents, spiritual parents, pastors, mentors, etc.
Their press into your life is solely to emulate the work of a good shepherd (John 10), a servant leader. Please note that a servant leader isn’t just someone who teaches – anyone can be a good teacher (1 Corinthians 4:15). We are talking about people who willingly and freely invest in that son, daughter, sheep or mentee’s life – expecting nothing in return except LOVE. Come on now.
True respect equals honor. True respect EQUALS LOVE. The scripture commands us to OWE NO MAN ANYTHING BUT LOVE. Then it says to give leaders who lead well DOUBLE HONOR. True mentors or those who sit over core leadership groups are concerned for your soul – not just your giving record and service to THEM.
This place of HONOR in 2 Timothy 5 indicates that godly leaders should be looked upon DELIBERATELY from this perspective! While we are to respect all of God’s people, those who work hard in the THE PASTURE are in the eyes of GOD afforded a greater outpouring of honor from those they have come to serve. (I’m not talking about pomp and circumstance. While people express their love by giving materialistic things, this isn’t the only or even the primary expression of what is being conveyed here.) Respect or honor isn’t something that should be demanded. It should be released from a willing heart. This, people of God, isn’t a twisted patronage or a bondage-binding honor rooted in the selfish traditions of men who desire to be worshipped. Rather, it is an expression of Godly love, and can be seen often in God-centered familial relationships in which children honor their parents or grandparents.
When leaders are ABUSED, and disrespected by those they mentor or lead, it is an attack on the very love of God… and his plan to bless those students or mentees through that leaders life. These people are in such denial, deep rooted rebellion and truthfully, care nothing for your soul. We often here about spiritual abuse from the perspective of the sheep, and this is indeed a valid subject. But there are also leaders (especially in denominations that are ran rigidly) who are being “spiritually abused” or have been “spiritually abused” by those they are sent to lead. Let us never forget about the ABUSE Jesus suffered at the hands of the world he was sent to save…
Especially remember that HE DIED AND WAS RESURRECTED so that we did not have to bear this kind of treatment. Leaders, you have the right to set order in your house…
Part III: The Confrontation
