Are you a leader or a follower? I have yet to ever hear someone admit to being a follower(even if they really are) but I have heard many claim that they are not called to be a leader. I used to say the same thing in the past but it was really just an excuse to justify being passive, gullible, and apathetic. Now that I look back I can see the influence that I actually had on many people and I didn’t even realize it at the time. Unfortunately, I lead many in the wrong direction.

The truth whether we realize it or not is that we are all leaders at least in the sense that we have influence among those we interact with. The idea of leader/follower is really a false dichotomy. Some of you may disagree but hang with me on this. Even those who are the most deadbeat, passive followers still have influence on somebody. So the idea of using he phrase: “I am not called to be a leader” as an excuse to not be accountable for those we interact with just doesn’t fly. Wherever you are and whatever you are currently doing is leading/influencing someone and the question isn’t are you leading but who and how are you leading?

So this means:

If you are a husband/dad and deadbeat couch potato who comes home and grabs the remote ignoring your family, you are leading/teaching your children to believe that this is normal behavior.

Teenagers if you are asked to go to a party where things will be going on that you know you shouldn’t be involved in but you passively and easily give in and follow, you are still leading/teaching others who may be on the fence about going that it may actually not be that big of deal.

When you are around people at work who are gossiping about someone and you know it’s not true, but you passively allow the person to be slandered you are leading/teaching others around that this may be true about that person.

Dad’s if you never tell/show your daughter that she is beautiful or valuable to you then you are teaching her that she really shouldn’t expect her future husband to think that about her either.

These are just a few examples but the point is that we are all leaders in some sense. We can’t even begin to understand our value and influence. You have no idea how much your words and actions affect others. In the past my apathy lead many down a path away from Jesus. What direction are you leading people? As a Christian my desire is to lead and influence every person that I encounter to experience a saving relationship with a God who is Holy, awesome, and loves them. I want everything I say and do to point them to the one who is the only source of life and satisfaction. Who is with me? Let’s do this LEADERS!!!