True Servant Leadership- know thy place (part 3)

GENESIS 3

Adam was created by God to lead. In a very real way, this meant that he was charged with authority to rule over the garden and over the creation. Likewise, he was commanded to submit to the governing authority of God himself. However, very quickly Adam forgot his calling. Adam forgot his place.

It Is Common For Leaders To Forget Their Place

In Genesis 3 we read a story that at first glance seems absent of Adam, God’s assigned ruler over Eden. However, this absence speaks volumes to the man of God’s leadership failure. It is here that a serpent deceives Adam’s wife Eve by convincing her to eat fruit from a tree forbidden by God himself. Only after the serpent accomplishes his goal do we find Adam, all too willing to join in and take part in rebellion against God. It is no wonder then that God seeks answers from Adam, not Eve, when he confronts the breakdown within Eden’s system of government.

When Systems Fail, Leaders Are Held Accountable

There’s a certain irony in the fact that Eve was tempted by a snake. After all, it was one of the creatures that Adam was meant to rule. The serpent was to submit to Adam, who in turn would submit to God. However, unwilling to be ruled, this deceptive creature flipped the hierarchy of power on its head. The snake, seeking to reign as his own god, managed to accomplish overthrowing Adam by usurping man’s God given authority. In the end, Adam willingly placed himself below that which he was meant to govern.

Great Leaders Stand Their Ground And Lead As They Have Been Commissioned

Knowing one’s place means standing firmly between one’s governing authority and those one has been called to lead. It is to submit in humility under those above us, while having the courage to meet the responsibilities and expectations we have been charged with for those below us. This is where Adam failed. This is where he let down God, the creation, and even his own wife. Adam lost his place of leadership by handing it over to one that he was intended to rule.

Questions Worth Considering-

What “serpants” seek to undermine your leadership authority? 

What temptations do you concede your power to?

What do you need to do to regain power in the role and responsibilities you have been charged with?