Leadership Is Like A Foundation
Some leaders are like the front door of a house. They are the most visible part of an organization, and may be the main way that people become involved, but once they get inside, they find the reality to be different than the initial appearance.
Other leaders function like the roof, protecting the organization but may be "above" the real workings of the building.
Still others leaders are like an inner room, reclusive and secretive, protecting the most valuable possessions of the organization.
Each of these styles of leadership is exercised by the exertion of power and influence.
But the Bible speaks of a different kind of leader--a leadership style that offers something unique where power has been abused and systems have faltered. This style of leadership functions like the foundation of the building. Often unseen and sometimes ignored, the foundation creates the environment, sustains the workings, and ensures the success of the entire organization. "Foundation leadership" is collaborative, supportive, and strong in ways that transfer strength to everyone involved.
In Mark 9:33-35, we find Jesus confronting some of his leaders-in-training about their concern over who should be considered the "greatest" among them. Jesus tells them that to be the greatest leader, one must become a servant, not the master - the foundation, not the front door or the roof.
Seven Foot Tall and Bulletproof
History is replete with examples of bad people with bad intentions doing bad things to people. But have you ever noticed how often those bad intentions are turned on their proverbial heads, resulting in remarkable good? A quick AI search brings countless cases in point:
John Bunyan’s Imprisonment – Arrested for preaching without a license in 17th-century England, Bunyan spent 12 years in jail. During that time, he wrote The Pilgrim’s Progress, one of the most influential Christian books ever published.
Dietrich Bonhoeffer – A German pastor and theologian, Bonhoeffer was imprisoned and eventually executed for his resistance to the Nazi regime. Yet his writings from prison, especially Letters and Papers from Prison, have inspired generations with their depth and courage.
The Apostle Paul – Much of the New Testament was written while Paul was imprisoned. His letters to early churches—written under duress—have shaped Christian theology and practice for centuries.
Richard Wurmbrand – A Romanian pastor imprisoned for 14 years under a communist regime for his faith. While suffering in solitary confinement and torture, he composed sermons in his mind to stay sane. After his release, he founded The Voice of the Martyrs, a ministry that now supports persecuted Christians worldwide.
Harriet Tubman – Born into slavery, Tubman endured unimaginable hardship. But after escaping, she returned again and again to rescue others via the Underground Railroad. The evil of slavery became the backdrop for her extraordinary courage and legacy of liberation.
In each of these examples, we see men and women stripped of their power, laid wholly vulnerable to the forces bearing against them for their harm.
These stories remind us that while evil may intend to destroy, it often becomes the very soil where resilience, purpose, and grace take root.
So what do these stories all have in common? In each of these cases, we see men and women of God submitting themselves to His higher purposes.
Submitting ourselves to God is important for many reasons, but chief among them is the key role it plays in allowing us to experience God's goodness.
In one classic OT example, we read the story of how Joseph's brothers became jealous of him and sold him into slavery. They perpetrated this crime against Joseph with nothing but bad intentions.
The remarkable part of the story was how Joseph chose to respond to his circumstances. Rather than becoming angry or bitter or playing the victim, Joseph submitted himself to a God Who had nothing but his best interests in mind. Because he submitted himself to God in the midst of his trial, it really didn't matter what his brothers’ intentions were.
By committing Himself to God, Joseph allowed God's good intentions to override the bad intentions of his brothers.
It is important to note that it was only because Joseph responded the way he did that he was able to overcome his circumstances and experience God's good intentions. The same is true for all of us.
As we live out our lives, we will be met by forces that do not have our best interests in mind. And just as Joseph was outnumbered and overpowered by his brothers, so it will be for us. At these times, we will seem to have no choice but to be subject to the forces that have marshaled themselves against us.
But we will have a choice!
Like Joseph, we will still have the option of committing ourselves to God, the choice to endure our circumstances with an attitude of humble submission.
The bottom line is God takes care of whatever we entrust to Him. So long as we yield ourselves to Him, it really doesn't matter what bad intentions come our way. We don't have to outsmart or outmaneuver every bad guy in our world. All we have to do is dedicate ourselves to God, without reservation.
When we have given all that we have and all that we are to God, the bad intentions of others can't possibly prevail against us. We are seven feet tall and bullet proof!
As Joseph explained to his brothers, "You intended to harm me, but God intended it all for good. He brought me to this position so I could save the lives of many people" (Genesis 50:20, NLT).
"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose" (Romans 8:28).
Polar Bear One Another's Burdens
Perhaps you've seen the many social media posts (on Facebook, Instagram, etc), claiming that it is illegal to lock your car doors in the town of Churchill, Manitoba, Canada. But is it true? Well, yes and no ...
“There is no current law in place in Churchill that requires residents to not lock their vehicle doors,” Paul Manaigre, a spokesman for the RCMP in Manitoba, the province that Churchill belongs to, told AFP by email.
But the claim is grounded in some truth. Churchill, population 900, is known for frequent polar bear visits when the ice on the nearby Hudson Bay melts in the warmer months.
According to Manaigre, “It is common knowledge that polar bears may enter the community at any time, and those that may need to seek shelter from a polar bear can use a vehicle, as most people will leave them unlocked for this purpose.”
“It’s just a common practice to leave your doors open. I never lock my car doors in my personal vehicle,” Erica Gillis, a research technician at the Churchill Northern Studies Centre, told AFP.
She explained that this custom is partly due to the polar bear threat, but also because Churchill is a remote, isolated community not accessible by road. “There aren’t many roads other than the main street,” Gillis added.
There is an estimated population of 935 polar bears in the western Hudson Bay area, where Churchill sits. As a response to the frequent bear visits, the town established a polar bear alert program. A team tranquilizes the animals if they enter town and takes them to a polar bear holding center, known by locals as the polar bear jail.
Thanks to the program, the Manitoba town has not had a bear-related fatality since the early 1980s.
The comments on the social pages range from disbelief and fear, to fancy and sarcasim. But the comment that seemed to jump off the page ...
Now THAT'S community!
Indeed, that IS community: A tight knit group of people, all looking out for one another, intentionally making provision for one another's refuge and safety. My car is your car. In this village, in this community, we protect and care for one another.
Appropriately and ironically, this little town is call "CHURCHill" (wink), where they collectively "bear" one another's burdens.
In our wild and unruly world where all manner of "bears" are seemingly out to get us, the church is called to be that village where the doors of refuge are always unlocked, waiting to welcome us in to help us stand against the lurking dangers. Now THAT'S community!
"Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ." (Galatians 6:2, ESV).
"Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others, (Philippians 2:4, ESV).
"Let no one seek his own good, but the good of his neighbor," (1 Corinthians 10:24, ESV).
"Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God," (Hebrews 13:16, ESV).