Monday, August 6, 2018
Scars and stripes
Galatians 6:17
From now on let no one trouble me, for I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus.
When you meet someone from the military, persons the Americans describe by the term “men and women in uniform,” you see the metal work on their shoulder that speaks to their rank, and on their chest the medals, badges, and ribbons that speak to the awards and decorations they received for their service. If you know what to look for you can tell the nature, character and accomplishments of a soldier’s service by the decorations on his jacket.
Medals in the military are awarded for a variety of things including valour, bravery, honour especially in theatres of war, during conflicts, or in other military activity and operations.
These days, when you see USA servicemen for example, if they are old you assume that their decorations were achieved for service during World War 11, or the Korean War, the Vietnam War. Younger servicemen or veterans might have received theirs for recent service in the wars in Iraq or Afghanistan. Or, also, in other trouble spots around the world in Africa, Asia, or the Middle East where UN troops are engaged in peacekeeping, training, or other security operations.
The point is, for a soldier or officer to be awarded medals and ribbons, one has to get out in the theatre, has to face fire, has to dig-in in the trenches, has to witness the blood and gore of a smouldering battlefield, has to witness men die, has to collect body parts for the hospital or funeral, has to promise to take a message back to loved ones, had to struggle under the weight of a comrade so that no one gets left behind, has to take bullets to save others, has to have the scars of war.
Many people today have decorated themselves in leadership and other positions of authority without having been in the trenches. They have given themselves stripes but have no scars. Such persons have held themselves out based on safely acquired qualifications and through inheriting the work of others.
There will always be persons who inherit businesses, or ministries started by others because there must be continuity. There is nothing inherently wrong with inheriting and continuing the work of others but in the absence of war experience, such persons are less prepared for service and leadership.
Here is what God did in the time after Joshua. “Now these are the nations which the Lord left, that He might test Israel by them, that is, all who had not known any of the wars in Canaan (this was only so that the generations of the children of Israel might be taught to know war, at least those who had not formerly known it),” Judges 3:1,2.
Paul, at the end of the letter to the Galatians, had to address the matter again about his credentials. This was a non-issue for him because Paul’s body carried scars that were the evidence of his dedication to Jesus. Scars that were left by the brutal persecution he suffered while preaching the gospel in dangerous and unwelcoming places.
Paul was stoned “Then Jews from Antioch and Iconium came there; and having persuaded the multitudes, they stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city, supposing him to be dead. Acts 14:19. Paul was beaten and jailed, “Then the multitude rose up together against them; and the magistrates tore off their clothes and commanded them to be beaten with rods. And when they had laid many stripes on them, they threw them into prison, commanding the jailer to keep them securely.” Acts 16:22,23.
Paul, in his second letter to the church at Corinth, had cause, again, to speak to his scars and stripes for Jesus. It’s a pretty long description but makes a point that should cause many of us who boast about ourselves to rethink our position.
“—I am more: in labors more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequently, in deaths often. From the Jews five times I received forty stripes minus one. Three times I was beaten with rods; once I was stoned; three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I have been in the deep; in journeys often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils of my own countrymen, in perils of the Gentiles, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren; in weariness and toil, in sleeplessness often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness—”2 Corinthians 11:23-26.
Now the marks aren’t always physical, but many have the ‘mark’ of dedication to the cause of Jesus. Marks left by the things they gave up, or the choices they took, or the sacrifices they made. Leaders are most often the ones with the marks.
Today, with leadership training as a commodity peddled by big names brands like Covey, Maxwell and others, one can qualify to be a speaker, trainer, or coach without having leadership experience. We all know people who have never lead anything or anyone from here to the next street, but they are a certified leadership coach.
LinkedIn is a good place to see profiles of people who haven’t built or led anything but who are promoting themselves as leadership gurus. The sad thing is that many others are endorsing them, and they are delivering keynotes to unsuspecting people who paid.
This is also the case in ministry. There are itinerant preachers who have never dug-in and built-up anyone or anything, but they show up as a guest preacher here, there, and everywhere. Puffed up and sweet skinned with no marks of ever being in the trenches. Were one demon like that which attacked the seven sons of Sceva to show up they would be scampering out of the place beaten and naked (Acts 19:14-16).
Leadership stripes require some battle scars.
Think on these things:
- If you are in a position of leadership are you satisfied that you are really qualified for it?
- How do you know if the person leading you has the experience and wisdom to be effective?
- How does your church determine who is qualified for leadership?
Prayer focus:
Let us pray today that we would through our experience and testing provide effective leadership to those after us.
In His Grace
Pastor Alex