problem with authority
i've made it pretty obvious.
i think there's too much focus on leadership, and not enough focus on serving.
i could sum it up by linking to some scripture on biblegateway. but i won't. i've got more to say than a quote, and more to grapple with than one idea. and if i'm ever going to get comfortable with leadership in any form, i'm going to need to talk it out.
and if you're offended by any of this... fine. leave a comment if it will help. i want feedback. i want other points of view. but i want constructive criticism.
here's my big issue... i won't follow someone blindly.
i've got a problem with authority. i know this. i've always had it. i just don't like being bossed around. it's for a lot of reasons, really. at work, i feel that the leadership that is chosen is very often undeserving and underqualified. i'll go out on the cockiness limb and say that i have more knowledge than a lot of the supervisors where i work. my boss right now has no idea what i do. how do you follow that?
also, i've always been fed the "i'm in charge and THAT'S why" line too many times. it was my mom's favorite phrase growing up. ever been pulled over by that officer who just seems like a jerk? ever wonder why he treats you like you're a nobody? because he can. someone has given him the power to take up your time.
for whatever reason, i am extremely critical of whom i follow. i'm extremely skeptical of whom i follow.
i refuse to follow someone out of sheer blind faith.
it's a human thing. everyone does it. but yeah, i consider myself a christ follower. but if you consider yourself a christ follower, then i want you to really think about this next question...
why did you choose jesus? why are you choosing to follow him?
that was a choice. he doesn't make you. you get to decide.
do you follow him because he's a bad leader? do you follow him because he's a pretty decent guy?
or do you follow him because of what he's done for you? did you decide to dedicate your entire life to someone whom you believe is someone you would like to be?
now, here comes the wormhole...
i don't feel that i've found a leader i can follow yet (with the exception of christ).
why is that?
i have to wonder this... if i had experienced a great leader, would i follow him/her completely?
as honestly as i can answer, i have to say...
...probably not.
i'm always going to be skeptical. i'm always going to question someone's authority.
but i challenge anyone to prove to me that that is wrong. what if i just followed the first person with authority that came along? that's blindly following leadership. that's not questioning decisions. that's eating whatever is fed to you...
for now, i refuse to follow something that isn't up to my standards. for now, i hold that my standards are where i want them to be.
i know that i will always have a problem sooner or later with the authority over me. but i've factored that into my standards. i have no expectations of perfect leadership.
i just don't expect leadership to react negatively when i question them.
in fact, that's my highest standard.
i refuse to blindly follow a leader who won't encourage questioning his/her authority.
i think there's too much focus on leadership, and not enough focus on serving.
i could sum it up by linking to some scripture on biblegateway. but i won't. i've got more to say than a quote, and more to grapple with than one idea. and if i'm ever going to get comfortable with leadership in any form, i'm going to need to talk it out.
and if you're offended by any of this... fine. leave a comment if it will help. i want feedback. i want other points of view. but i want constructive criticism.
here's my big issue... i won't follow someone blindly.
i've got a problem with authority. i know this. i've always had it. i just don't like being bossed around. it's for a lot of reasons, really. at work, i feel that the leadership that is chosen is very often undeserving and underqualified. i'll go out on the cockiness limb and say that i have more knowledge than a lot of the supervisors where i work. my boss right now has no idea what i do. how do you follow that?
also, i've always been fed the "i'm in charge and THAT'S why" line too many times. it was my mom's favorite phrase growing up. ever been pulled over by that officer who just seems like a jerk? ever wonder why he treats you like you're a nobody? because he can. someone has given him the power to take up your time.
for whatever reason, i am extremely critical of whom i follow. i'm extremely skeptical of whom i follow.
i refuse to follow someone out of sheer blind faith.
it's a human thing. everyone does it. but yeah, i consider myself a christ follower. but if you consider yourself a christ follower, then i want you to really think about this next question...
why did you choose jesus? why are you choosing to follow him?
that was a choice. he doesn't make you. you get to decide.
do you follow him because he's a bad leader? do you follow him because he's a pretty decent guy?
or do you follow him because of what he's done for you? did you decide to dedicate your entire life to someone whom you believe is someone you would like to be?
now, here comes the wormhole...
i don't feel that i've found a leader i can follow yet (with the exception of christ).
why is that?
i have to wonder this... if i had experienced a great leader, would i follow him/her completely?
as honestly as i can answer, i have to say...
...probably not.
i'm always going to be skeptical. i'm always going to question someone's authority.
but i challenge anyone to prove to me that that is wrong. what if i just followed the first person with authority that came along? that's blindly following leadership. that's not questioning decisions. that's eating whatever is fed to you...
for now, i refuse to follow something that isn't up to my standards. for now, i hold that my standards are where i want them to be.
i know that i will always have a problem sooner or later with the authority over me. but i've factored that into my standards. i have no expectations of perfect leadership.
i just don't expect leadership to react negatively when i question them.
in fact, that's my highest standard.
i refuse to blindly follow a leader who won't encourage questioning his/her authority.
