Familiarity breeds contempt.

I have some mixed feelings about this idiom. I am going to talk about this from at least 2 different perspectives.

1st perspective comes from the leader or superior Point of view. I learned this from my directors at college or from celebrity type pastors or evangelist. I have problems with this ideal.

2nd perspective must come from the subordinate point of view. I have a problem with this side of the coin also.

First of all, we must always look to our example for life and living...Jesus. He was the greatest leader, pastor and celebrity of his day, and our day also.

The view of the person considered the leader is " I must keep everyone at a distance because if they get to close they will not respect me". This is not entirely wrong, this is a learned behavior of most successful leaders. It is not good, but to some degree it is an unfortunate necessity to maintain proper perspective from the subordinate. This must be changed! Leaders do this because in most cases they must, because subordinates tend to forget how to respect and to view leaders. This brings me to the perspective of the subordinate. The subordinates have been trained to respect leaders that keep them at a distance because they don't know the leader. They don't know the leader because the leader knows that the subordinate "can't handle the truth" so the safe thing to do is keep them at a distance. This is a cycle, and a bad cycle at that.

Here is the best way to handle this problem. Leaders must get close, and have messy relationships with subordinates. Subordinates must understand that respect for leaders is something that is GIVEN. We must give respect because God has set this in order from the beginning of time. The best example of this is David in the bible. He was put in a position under a retard leader, a leader that tried to kill him and was insecure because David was already loved by the people and respected and chosen by God to be his successor. However, David paid him all the respect that he DESERVED as a leader, the king!! God blessed David because he never failed to maintain the proper perspective for his king.

So that is the answer. Leaders lead correctly and people will respect you, if they don't, it is Gods problem not yours. Subordinates respect correctly and if the leader does not deserve your respect, that is Gods problem not yours.

I will post again soon on how this pertains to worship, and the way we must approach the throne of God.

Thanks for reading and God bless you!!

Kris Barger

Remember,
Please pass the salt

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