Service/Accountability Series: Part 4 – No “Blame Game”
Where is there accountability in the Church? How often have I head from the pulpit about “those others who call themselves Christians, but … ‘They’ are false teacher who don’t believe the scriptures and do things differently than ‘us’ who are Bible believing.” No wonder there is division in the Church. Each faction, sect, denomination, or group that claims to be Christian feels they have the truth and follow it, and the rest of the Body of Christ is in error, so they blame all of the Church’s ills on “them”, the "others".
I once heard a teaching that changed my life and mindset about leadership and the Church. The teacher explained that even though Jesus loved the Church, that is not why he died on the Cross. He died on the Cross out of “obedience to the Father.” When on the Cross he took 100% responsibility for your sin, my sin, the sins of the world, and he did not blame the Romans, the Jews, the Pharisees, his accusers, or you or me. Instead he proclaimed, “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do.”
Here is the key to leadership and accountability as exemplified by Jesus on the Cross: A true leader takes 100% responsibility for that which he/she is responsible, and blames no one!
If a platoon leader and his battle group accidently kills civilians during combat, the President of the United States, the Commander-in-Chief, addresses the nation and takes responsibility for their actions and apologizes to the nation and those offended and does not spread the blame even though he was not directly involved in the incident. That is leadership!
If each leader in the Church would stand up and take 100% responsibility for the Church that he so preciously believes in and supposedly loves, and doesn’t blame every other faction of the body different from him, he would earn my respect.
If a husband takes 100% responsibility for his family and doesn’t blame the wife or the kids, he earns my respect. Most marital arguments and divorces are nothing but “the Blame Game”, the key to winning custody and postnuptial battles in court. If the man took 100% responsibility for his family while giving out 0% blame, he would earn his wife’s and children’s respect. According to the Bible, men are to “love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her.” Women are to “respect” their husbands. I contend that if men practiced this kind of love, their wives would not only willingly submit to them, but run to their arms because they would see Jesus in their husband’s life.
If an employer takes 100% responsibility for his business and doesn’t blame his employees for the company’s faults and ills, every employee would work their tail off for him and the success of the company with pride.
This is the key to Church leadership and relationships within the Body of Christ.