Recently, I had certain issues with some leadership in the church and I can say it wasn't a very good thing. Due to some reasons, I felt that certain leaders weren't up to the mark and that it doesn't seem to make sense to do so much for them. But I prayed about it, and I learnt alot from this encounter. So I am just sharing what I learnt.
Not everybody is perfect. Everyone has their issues, and everyone has their problems. Same goes with leaders. We can't expect them to be always that shining light that they were supposed to be. People fall and pick themselves up. We can't fault them for that. I am not perfect myself. Even Moses had the help of Aaron to cover for his imperfection of speech. There are just times when things are just in the low for people, and we should be helping them to pick up, and not bring them down. There are times when even those in leadership needs a helping hand, when they need someone to support them. Exodus 17:12 "When Moses' hands grew tired, they took a stone and put it under him and he sat on it. Aaron and Hur held his hands up - one on one side, one on the other - so that his hands remained steady till sunset." This way, the Israelites won the war against the Amalekites.
We should never doubt the anointed. That is really important. No matter how bad they have performed, or how they failed in certain things, we should never have doubts about the anointed, or even worse, to oppose them. These people are chosen by God, and they are chosen for a reason. To doubt them would be to doubt God. We see in 1 Samuel 24, that Saul was pursuing David and even had the intentions of taking David's life. However, even when Saul was so obviously falling, and even when David had the opportunity to take Saul's life, he never did. Thats because he respected the anointed, he respected those that God chose, and thats why he spared Saul's life again and again. In the end, we saw that David was greatly blessed by the Lord when he became king of Israel.
Opposing the anointed has serious consequences. Like what I said earlier, opposing those chosen by God is in fact opposing God Himself. God chose His servants, and they are on His side. By opposing them, we are in fact going on the opposite side, needless to say, not being on God's side is pretty much very serious. We see in Numbers 12 that Miriam and Aaron opposed Moses "because of his Cushite wife." In fact, what they did was that they found fault with Moses. What happened next was quite expected. In Numbers 12:9, it says "The anger of the Lord burned against them, and he left them." In the end, Miriam was stricken with leprosy and was confined outside the Israelite camp for seven days. It is indeed no joke to oppose the anointed.
Therefore, it is very important for us to respect the authority that leaders have. If we see any problems with the leadership, it is not our role to oppose them, or to rebuke them. It is in fact our job to support them, to help them in any way we can, to top up whatever that is of shortfall. But before we even look into the imperfections of other people, leaders and members alike, let us examine ourselves, and correct ourselves first. Luke 6:41, "Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?"
