Criticizing God-Called Leaders: Why You May Want to "Sit This One Out"

I haven't added to my blog in almost 2 years, so I really don't think anyone is holding their breath, waiting for me to weigh in on much of anything... but I feel I need to say something concerning the criticizing of God-ordained leaders, so here it is.  

You should tread CAREFULLY before you open your mouth to speak in criticism of your Pastors, or leaders that they have PRAYERFULLY placed into positions of authority in the church body.  If you are CRITICIZING, rather than PRAYING sincerely for them and the challenges they face—because let’s be real, there are way more challenges than there are ‘glory moments’—then shame on you.  You have clearly not humbled yourself to the teaching of the whole Word.  Oh, you may have held on to your pet scriptures, and you may try to manipulate them to mean what you WANT them to mean—but you should be mature enough to realize that we are meant to search out the WHOLE COUNSEL OF GOD, not a nugget here or there.  If you are guilty of this, you are not RIGHTLY DIVIDING THE WORD OF TRUTH (2 Timothy 2:15).

Need an example?  Paul gave us a perfect one in Galatians 5.

Galatians 5:13-16 KJV

¹³ For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another.

¹⁴ For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.

¹⁵ But if ye bite and devour one another, take heed that ye be not consumed one of another.

¹⁶ This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.

Very soon after this passage, Paul spouts off a pretty comprehensive list of the works of the flesh.  Do you know what is right in the middle of the list that begins with idolatry and ends with revellings, immediately between heresies and murders?  ENVY.  Envy!  

Envy in the church?  Say it isn’t so!  But do you envy another’s ministry?  Their leadership position?  Another’s access to the pulpit?  Their access to the pastors?

And the pastors—do you envy their success?  The way they guard their flock?  The way they protect the pulpit, and who is allowed to speak into the lives of the congregation?

Do you have a different vision than the pastors?  Have you been convinced—or convinced yourself—that YOUR vision is the SUPERIOR vision?

Then you are DEEP in ENVY.  Because you are JEALOUS of what you DO NOT HAVE.  And you are not submitted enough to realize that you have NO RIGHT to place yourself above anyone else, even if it is just inside your own mind!

Following the works of the flesh is the list of the fruit of the Spirit.  You know what is NOT on the list?  Self-promotion.  Drawing attention to yourself.  Murmuring.  Complaining. CRITICIZING.

No, the Fruit of the Spirit is very different, and includes GENTLENESS, not derision.    LONGSUFFERING, not manipulating circumstances to your liking.  MEEKNESS, not pride.  PEACE, not stirring up division in the flock.  SELF-CONTROL, not secrecy.

And while we are on THAT subject, let’s be clear:  if you have to do something SECRETLY, it is because you ALREADY KNOW you aren’t RIGHT.

Paul closes out Galatians 5 better than I ever could:  ²⁶ Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another.

When you think YOU KNOW BETTER than leaders who have been CALLED, TRIED and PROVEN, and YOU THINK you could do it all BETTER—that’s “vain glory” my friends.  You might not always agree with a decision that is made, but hopefully you are aware that you are probably not in full possession of the facts.  You aren’t the one who is, and has for many years, prayed for the Kingdom purpose of this local assembly.  You aren’t the one who invested their own EVERYTHING into this church for multiple decades.  Oh, you might be in prayer, but you don’t pray with the same purpose as the man and woman of God who have given their lives to the furtherance of the Gospel in this community.  

It’s not that you don’t have something to say.  But when you can’t even recognize the Pastoral calling and authority in this assembly, when you try to bring in a DIFFERENT VISION that opposes the Pastor’s vision (the labor of a lifetime), and when you essentially REFUSE to submit, whether openly or secretly, then you bring DIVISION to the body.  And DIVISION is disease, and it either needs to be healed by extracting the poison, or being completely removed.

Because division destroys UNITY.  And UNITY is essential to the health of the Body.  Who is going to unify us?  A Pastor, who tells us constantly, “Follow me as I follow Christ.”  

A body can only have ONE head. And since I have watched MY leaders for over a quarter of a century, and have observed them follow the leading of the Lord, with absolute Biblical fidelity, knowing their “head” is Christ, I know which body I want to be a part of.

Thank you, Pastors Rick and Alexa Olson, for being exactly these types of leaders.  The Laymons love you fiercely, and we will pray for you and follow you as you follow Christ.