Intimacy With Your Leader

For the one who desires to be a disciple, as opposed to being just a church goer, there is a need for closeness to the leader they are following.  However,while necessary for growth, there is an element of danger in this type of relationship.

When walking in relationship with the one God is using to train and disciple (discipline) you there is every opportunity for you to be open and transparent.  Your leader will note your successes, your strengths, and your anointing.  They will also see your glaring faults, weaknesses, or failures....and the ones not so glaring.

If you have a leader who tends, by their personality, to keep you at arms length concerning their own personal issues this is safest for you.  This leader does not see you as their confidante simply because of the nature of your relationship.  Safely you will be discipled without the added burden of "friendship".

But what do you do when the leader you are following tends to be a people person?  They love fellowship, they are open and gladly share their life with you..the successes and the failures.  They speak with you as a dear friend and not just a person in authority over your life.  They trust you enough to lay their life bare to you and due to this level of intimacy you see more of their humanity than you wanted to.

Human nature tends to take for granted anyone we feel equal or superior to.  The disciple who has a leader who draws a line in the sand and limits the level of intimacy with them is the safest person to be discipled by.  However the disciple, being loved from afar by their leader, misses out on training at a more intimate level.  God Himself wants to be known in an intimate way.  The servant who knows every detail about His master is better equipped to serve them and to train others to serve them. 

IF...

they can, with Godly fear, remember their place.

"Verily, verily, I say unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord; neither he that is sent greater than he that sent him."  John 13:16

"For three things the earth is perturbed, For a servant when he reigns, A fool when he is filled with food,
A hateful woman when she is married, And a maidservant who succeeds her mistress."  Prov 30: 21-23

 

When walking in intimacy with your leader pride, presumption, and bitterness are strong temptations.  Because you see the human side of your leader, when they must bring correction the temptation will be to cast of restraint because they themselves have issues that need correction.

Haughtiness can fill your heart when you think you know better than your leader.  This may be true in some cases however God still demands a high level of reverence for the mantle of leadership that He has placed upon their shoulders.  Serving your leader with humble and loyal prayer offered on their behalf  is pleasing to God and keeps your heart from disloyalty.

Competition and ingratitude will flood your heart the minute you are wondering why God is using your leader when you are much more educated, talented, or even more spiritually gifted than they.

When God calls you to be a disciple of another every talent, gift, or bit of knowledge should be offered up to God as being at complete disposal of the leader for the good of the ministry.  These were given to you by God not for self promotion, but for the edification of others and for the furtherance of God's mission.

It is a sad thing when people poke fun at or kid their leaders in private or in front of others.  While the leader may not be overly concerned about such carelessness God is concerned. People who do this either lack maturity or have forgotten God's commandment to...

"...Touch not my anointed, and do my prophets no harm." 1 Chron 16:22

Making your leader the butt of your jokes will demean not only them but their God given authority.

If you have a close and  intimate relationship with your leader my advice to you is draw a line in the sand and NEVER cross it.  That line should always remind you that your leader is to be reverenced (hence the title Reverend in some circles) and treated with Godly fear at all times.

Remember to not let one thing cross your lips OR your mind that is critical, overly familiar, or rebellious toward your leader. 

An intimate loving relationship with your leader is to be treasured and guarded at all cost.  The devil and your own flesh will do all it can to to pull you out from under their protective headship.

If you keep your heart with all diligence you will reap the rewards of this special relationship God has given you and your leader will continually give God thanks for the refreshing he receives by your loyal and reverent service.

Whosoever keeps the fig tree shall eat its fruit: so he that waits on his master shall be honored. KJV 2000
The one who guards a fig tree will eat its fruit, and whoever protects their master will be honored. NIV

Whoever nurtures the fig tree will eat its fruit, and whoever obeys his master will be honored. ISAV

He who tends the fig tree will eat its fruit, And he who cares for his master will be honored. NASBV

Proverbs 27:18