There is a form of "Wizard Of Oz" mentality that has crept into the body of Christ. Many of us are aware of the mentality and battle it on a daily basis. We need to continue in our battle as this mentality is a major stumbling block in the plans the Lord has for us.
This mentality comes into play when church leaders try to meet too high of expectations placed on them by the body. There is a trap that many leaders can fall into. Church leaders do not have all the answers, they can not fix all of the problems, they do not have a special phone with a hotline to God in there office. Every time a leader acts as though they have special abilities to intervene that are not available to every common believer they fall into this trap. Like the "wizard" in the "wizard of oz" they hide their real selves behind a curtain and project a false image on a large screen for all to see. Warning to church leaders! This is Idolatry! You do not want to cause worship of a false image of yourself. This is a trap that is easy to fall into.
How do we avoid this mentality in the body of Christ? First of all, we do not go off seeking wizards. We do not place the expectation of all knowing and all powerful on a fellow believer. Yes, the Father does give supernatural giftings to His body to minister to one another. He also places believers in special offices to equip the body. But Jesus Christ alone is to be the mediator between God and His children. When ever we place a fellow believer in a position of mediator between ourselves and God we have created a Idol. We seek wisdom from fellow believers. We ask for prayer and seek God to move through fellow believers to minister to us. But it is never a one way street. When we create one way streets we create Idols.
We need leaders who are not hidden behind curtains. Transparent leaders who admit their limits and weaknesses. Leaders who do not place themselves above but along side. Leaders who seek to lift up and not hold down. When a leader is hidden behind the curtain he models this to the body. Soon those who share their problems and weaknesses are look down upon as less spiritual. This is totally opposite of the Kingdom of God. This model creates hypocrites and isolates believers from one another.
The Father is coming to sniff out those who are hiding behind curtains. They will be exposed. Now is the time to step out from behind the curtain on your own. It is important as believers that we allow our leaders room to do this. It is important as fellow believers that we allow our brothers and sisters room to do this. It is dark and lonely hiding behind a curtain. Jesus came to rip this curtain in two that we could all enter in to the fellowship of His Love and Mercy.
(One small note: There is a reason God gave us two ears and only one mouth. Learn how to be a good listener. Advice should only be given when asked for and even then sparingly. You are not responsible to fix people. Most of the time the greatest medicine you can give them is the freedom to be broken and still loved and accepted).
Mark Kaphaem
Mark Kaphaem
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