439. Where You Sit Determines What You See

There are two types of Christians:

One group want their church to shape and guide their faith. Another group want to live out their version of faith through their church. So they may both seem eager to practice their faith, but the result is very different:

The first group will experience harmony and joy in church life, and the other group will experience constant frustration and conflicts.

Some Christians think they know what is best for the church, so they enforce and demand certain things from it. But according to Apostle Paul, we are to provide what the church needs, because God didn’t put us as the head of the body, but as body parts. (1 Cor 12)

And out of God’s wisdom, he decided to speak the direction of the church through “leaders”, not because they are special, but because God works through authorities, not majority votes. He is the God of order. God is also a king, not a president elected by people. And he chose to speak to those who serve the most, as God reveals his plans to his servants (Amos 3:7). He also requires the most from those entrusted with many responsibilities.

So, a leader’s job is to discern and communicate God’s direction as faithfully and frequently as possible, ensuring members are not in the dark and don’t fill the gap themselves. A follower’s job is to trust their leader until proven otherwise and to do their best to follow the given direction.

When you don’t understand your leaders’ decision, first ask yourself, “What do they see that I don’t see?” We all make decisions based on what we ‘see’. One pastor said, “Where you sit determines what you see.” Your leader, your parents, and your boss see something you don’t see, not because they are smarter but because of where they sit. And God placed them there. And the truth of the matter is, we will never see as much as what our leaders see, until we sit in their position of authority. That is why God tells followers to submit to their leaders, so that leaders would watch over the people under their care with joy, not with grief, and the scripture promises that it will benefit the people who submit. (Heb 13:17)