Seven Ineffective Habits of Highly Idolized Leaders:

If I have one grand weakness, it’s cynicism. For some reason, this vice has been amplified at the beginning of this spring semester. I was reminded over lunch today that there are personalities at this fine institution which reflect the following characteristics. I’m not trying to tear anyone down, I’ve just noticed that these are not taught against, but are modeled as positive things! To play off of Steven Covey’s Seven Habits series, I’ve come up with my own that I’ve observed:

1. The Big Show: Faking it:
I’m not sure whether it’s just me or whether this plays across the board, but I can identify and cannot stand fakeness in the ministry. Unfortunately, I’ve seen a lot of it. I’ve seen people lead worship on minute and tear their people down with a smile the next. Bothersome.

2. Leave everything until the last minute and ask someone else to do it: Being a fourth year college student, I understand the fine art of procrastination. Granted, I realize that it isn’t always the healthiest thing for me to do, but all in all, I am the one most affected by it. This, however, has been twisted so that your stress and responsibility can and is transferred to another by playing on “fulfilling God’s calling” to the ministry. Bogus.

3. Only recognize someone when you want something:
Do you ever wonder about these situations? It seems that when somebody wants something, you’re good enough to talk to. If you ever try to talk to them outside of that which they’ve tasked you with, you can’t get the time of day from them. This truly bothers me. I realize that you can’t be friends with everyone, but you can be cordial to people. I’m not suggesting “The Big Show”, but I am suggesting tact.

4. Have your favorites (and burn them out):
The Golden Children… the bane of equality. Maybe my cynicism is going into overdrive on this one, but seeing the same people used over and over again when there is a wealth of God-given talent elsewhere is monotonous, annoying, and frustrating! The irony of this situation is found in the undeniable fact that the people who are heavily used (in more than one way) are the ones who suffer from extreme and rapid burnout. Not to be vulgar, but these people end up being prostituted to the ministry. Something that has been intended to be good has been maligned into ugliness. Jesus had his disciples, yes. But if you remember in Acts, Peter reminds us that God doesn’t show favoritism.

5. Learn blame shifting: Look out for #1:
Years ago, I remember that my mother had a Family Circus cartoon which she had been clipped from the comics and placed one our refrigeration unit. That cartoon depicted a silhouette of the child that bore the name “The ‘Not-Me’ Ghost”. Does your ministry have a “‘Not-me’ ghost”? It seems that this spectral scapegoat runs rampant. Just remember, it’s never your fault, there is always someone that you’re better than that you can blame it on.

6. Build your success on the shoulders of others:
I’ve always been a firm believer that you should give appropriate credit where credit is due. This is not only tactful, but it keeps us from getting a swelled head about our own successes that are a result of someone else. Unfortunately, the exact opposite has been modeled. Is it really ok to take a success from someone else and claim it as your own? As Christians, can we truly take credit for the things that God does in and through our lives? Is it by our personal discovery of some formulaic method of wooing Almighty God to bend to our will? Heck no. Then why do we?

7. Glorify God only after praising yourself:
Of all the infernal conundrums which I fail to understand, this final Ineffective Habit of Highly Idolized Leaders must be the greatest. In conversation about this topic to a good friend, they informed me of how an established pastor had gotten up to sing a worship chorus and sang, “It’s all about me, it’s not about you Jesus.” Forgive me as I kneel down at the Great White Porcelain Throne and pay my homage with my partially digested lunch. There are no questions that can cover the scope at which this final habit infuriates me.

“If I have one great weakness, it is the belief that I have no great weaknesses.” – Matthew Keith