“followers choose a leader…” Jimmy Collins

Look at all those stars, makes me think of, “The stars at night are big and bright…”

“Hey, can I ask you a question?”

You kinda already did… just kidding… go ahead.

“I’ve noticed in your articles and when you talk, I don’t quite know how to put this… you aren’t very loud when you talk about God and stuff. You seem to just… sort of… slip verses and comments into the discussion…”

Yeah.

“Why do you do that? Most people I know, or have heard, are way louder, and more adamant in trying to get me to hear them when they talk about God.”

Has it worked?

“No… not really… it turns me off to them and God.”

Well… there’s your answer.

“What?”

I had to learn early on that a forceful approach in most cases wasn’t what was called for. I had to learn… “A person finds joy in giving an apt reply— and how good is a timely word!” ~ Proverbs 15:23

“On your journey why did you start by looking for success? hey, you did it again, didn’t you?”

It wasn’t so much, “looking for success,” so much as I was trying to define it. And along the way my experience being a worker and watching guys in suits… I thought had something to do with it. And guys in suits work in offices. And guys who work in offices are generally the so called leaders of the group. Which in turn led me to think of those corporate positions, and led me to, “the over emphasized pursuit of leadership roles (and jobs)” as Jimmy Collins so aptly put it.

He also says, “followers choose a leader.” So now I have had to understand what my thinking was concerning being a follower, a worker, a leader, a disciple, coach, pastor and teacher.

That’s why I push so hard to find good, solid, usable definitions for the words I use.

I had this thought before finding Mr. Collins… I thought, “Leadership is not a job. It doesn’t have specific work tasks. You can’t fill out a job application for “Company Leader.” You may apply for CEO, COO, CFO, Sales Director, Distribution Manager and a plethora of others… but there is no “job” titled LEADER.

A worker may be able to apply for his job, they are usually titled… “general laborer.”

A student or disciple has to sign up for class. They have to pick specific classes they will need in order to complete their degree, certificate, or training.

Leaders and leadership, I believe are implied. We follow directives of the CEO. We are hired by the manager to perform tasks. We support the company. BUT I feel we reserve our true follower-ship for something or someone else.

There’s an old saying, “You can’t ride two horses with one ass.”

Yeah, there’s a verse for that too, “No man can serve two masters…”

I’m thinking success is implied also… because depending on what metrics you use to measure yourself, any job, or life goals… they are going to be different than mine and my expectations.

But our personal follower-ship could be the same… it could be in the same person to start with… that person being Jesus of Nazareth, the only begotten son of God. Now that’s specific.

This is a nice spot you picked out… what helped you choose it?

“My dad and grandpa took me camping for a few years, until my grandpa got sick. Grandpa would always say, “Pick a level spot, out of the wind, but not around any dead tree’s,” he would say that every time we went.”

Did you ever go camping by yourself?

“Yeah, after grandpa passed, to remember him I took a couple fishing trips by myself… he would have liked that.”

Then you had to pick your campsite yourself? You have your own experience with it now?

“Yeah, I guess.”

Was your grandpa right?

“Yeah, I guess he was. There was this one time. I got off the water late. I hurried up with the campsite. There was a big dead tree nearby, but I thought it was plenty far away, besides it was getting dark and it didn’t look that bad. Well, let me tell ya. It was overcast when I went to bed and a storm kicked up later on. The tent shook me awake with a couple rough snaps, side to side. Then I heard a loud, slow, CRAAAAAACK! And the top of that dead tree came crashing down… it was thirty feet away… but holy crap did that scare me. So I learned first hand why he always said that.”

So did you follow his advice after that?

“Yes. Including today… what are you getting at.”

Well, when you were little you followed your grandpa because you had to, then when you were on your own you chose to honor your grandfather by following his advice, and now, having your own experience with that knowledge you have chosen to apply it to your life. The key being… you made a choice to follow him. A deliberate decision.

So logically, we can only have one master, one person we deliberately choose to follow, and if that person is the right person then all the other people we choose to place ourselves with will fall into proper place.

If we follow the wrong person, whoever that may be… our lives will reflect that also.

Matthew 11:29-30 “Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

I really struggled with this verse on this trip. I kept feeling like a young horse being skittish about coming under the yoke, fighting the lines, and feeling constrained.

But now that I have chosen to come under that yoke I am understanding why it is so important to fully commit at each step of growth.

“Wait. You haven’t been with God previously? What the heck!”

No, no… I was with him. Look at it as if I was that younger horse. I was with him, being trained and conditioned to the work. He put me through all the ground work training… preparing me to come in even closer… able to take on the next stage… able to shoulder the yoke… even though it is light.

He asks us in His word to follow Him and then to honor others… starting with our parents, the aged, widows, orphans and children in general, “do not hinder them,” and also to honor the authorities He has put into place. Whether those are kings, governor’s, owners or managers.

Think about your power of choice and what choices you made lately.

Hey, we better turn in and get some sleep, throw a few pieces on the fire to get us through till morning.