The children in The Family Circus cartoon were playing “follow the leader” when Billy told Dolly, “Okay, you can lead this time…as long as you go where I want.”

That sounds like the attitude of many people in the church. They claim they want leadership, but what they really want is someone to approve of their own ideas and desires. They want to choose their own direction, unimpeded by any outside spiritual guidance.

This is not a new development. The Israelites griped at Moses practically every step of the way on their journey to the Promised Land. Some of them even wanted to go back to slavery in Egypt! Warped views of “the good ole days” often hamper our vision for the future.

In Acts 20:28, Paul exhorts the elders of the church at Ephesus, “Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which he bought with his own blood.”

Let’s all be good sheep and follow God’s plan for leadership in the church.