It is an extraordinary thing what the God of the universe has done on our behalf. It is written all over the Bible and experienced by millions upon millions through the millennia. Jesus illustrated this reality in Matthew 18 when he told a parable (or story) of a middle manager (MM), his boss, and a subordinate of his own. What I want to point out, in the context of this blog, is the toxicity of this middle manager.
The king sat down to his royal feast with some of his closest advisers. His power was felt by all who sat with him. Yet, the king knew that he was going to be betrayed by one of those advisers. His secret service had uncovered the plot. He knew an overthrow of his kingdom was at hand. So, what was he to do? We know what we would do. We know what a "worldly" leader would do. He/we would do everything possible to strengthen our claim to the throne. We would put down the rebellion before it had any chance to gain a foothold, knowing the traitor and his intent. But Jesus . . .
To some Christians, the choice of whether to stay under a toxic leader in the home, workplace, or organization is not a question. They may consider leaving, but the go-to is a belief that God has called them to suffer for Christ’s sake. I assure them, their consciences are not bound by Scripture.
Like in domestic abuse research, there is debate as to the malleability of abusive people in leadership. I would guess that in most people's experience, there is little hope for such change.
Often the focus of Bible teaching—when it comes to leadership and followership—is on the follower. In particular, the focus is on being submissive more often than not. I understand that. However, Scripture also speaks to those in authority.
In this second look at the book of James, we will consider the center of toxic leadership. As was noted in part one of this series, much teaching in leadership circles looks at the outward behavior of the leader as the standard. But that isn't the standard for Christians.
The book of James has profound insights on oppressive leadership, hypocrisy, and the power of words in Christian contexts. This is the first in a series on James and oppression.
For the leader who considers his authority questioned whenever another human being in his orbit receives accolades for his or her skills, the temptation to not only covet but attempt control over that gifted one is a problem.
The toxic leader will be threatened by the slightest show of strength from subordinates. This was the story of the new king of Egypt in the time following the death of Joseph.
The words Jesus gives to the crowds are hard words, but particularly hard for leaders in their cultural context. What would Jesus do?