Empowering and Exploiting
I recently finished reading a book that has stirred my mind and heart more than any book I’ve read in a long time. It’s called “The House Church Book” by Wolfgang Simson, and there is so much in this book that I disagree with, and yet so much that I love and that strongly challenges me. I’ll be posting a review of it in a couple of weeks, but I wanted to blog through it a bit. I’ll start by posting this table that you’ll find on page 125 if you pick up the book.
| How to Empower Others | How to Exploit Others |
|---|---|
| allow them to function | give them functions |
| believe in them | make them believe in you |
| delegate authority | require submission |
| further God’s plan for them | make them part of your plans |
| invest in them | use them |
| love them, and say so | love the task more than the people |
| give them what you have | take what they have to give |
| discuss with them | preach at them |
| freely spend time with them | require appointments |
| give them the keys now | make them wait until you retire |
| serve them | let them serve you |
| praise them | accept their praise of you |
| transfer masterhood | demonstrate masterhood |
This lays out so clearly what I was trying to put into words when I blogged about Life-Giving Leaders. The column on the left is what I aspire to–being someone who empowers others for the task to which God has called them. Take some time, look at the list, and see where you fall. Are you an Empowerer or Exploiter?
actually bud – the column on the left is what you aspire to!
AMEN. Praying your leadership will only ever be the life-giving kind.
Whoops! Thanks for spotting that, mom!
Thanks for posting this. It’s succinct and helpful. The left column looks wonderful, but also more difficult than the right column. Nevertheless, I pray I can start/continue shifting more from functioning in the right column to the left one.
I’d like to post this on my blog, too, in the near future if that’s okay. I’ll credit you and Simson’s book.
With gratitude,
Stanley
Stanley, please feel free to post it. No need to credit me–I just copied it straight out of Simson’s book! 😉