For leaders, this is worse than herding cats …

The direct message the new follower on Twitter sent to me stated, “Thanks a ton for joining the ——- Club! Watch for our BMGs on Twitter. Do you still watch local TV news?”

To be honest, I was a little annoyed with the message. Not because it had been sent, but because of the dishonest content. This person had, for whatever reason, chosen to follow me on Twitter only minutes earlier. After briefly reviewing his Twitter account, I responded by following back. Shortly after, I received his direct message.

Instead of just ignoring it, or playing along with it, here is my response: “I didn’t join the ——- Club. I followed you back after you followed me.”

This is a classic example of a person who wants to be a “leader” so desperately that when someone simply responds to them, this person makes the claim you’ve joined their club! You’ve become a fan, a follower, a groupie. All from someone I don’t know and have never heard of.

Quite a leap! He’s attempting to lead the unrecruited.

Joshua didn’t want to make that mistake.

After spending years as the apprentice to Moses, Joshua now had the responsibility of leading Israel. He had watched as Moses tried to lead a stiff-necked people to the promised land. Worse than trying to herd cats, Moses was trying to lead the unrecruited. Many among the people were on board for escaping slavery, but not for the
wilderness, and not God’s way. Their cycles of sin — symptoms they were not on board — resulted in many of them perishing. They would never see the land promised to those who had joined up to join God.

So Joshua took the pro-active step of reviewing and renewing their covenant with God, and then he challenged them to make a choice:

“So fear the Lord and serve him wholeheartedly. Put away forever the idols your ancestors worshiped when they lived beyond the Euphrates River and in Egypt. Serve the Lord alone. But if you refuse to serve the Lord, then choose today whom you will serve. Would you prefer the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates? Or will it be the gods of the Amorites in whose land you now live? But as for me and my family, we will serve the Lord,” Joshua 24:14-15.

Little thwarts the leadership of today’s church leaders more than trying to lead the unrecruited. The presence of a person in a church service doesn’t mean you have a new recruit for the kingdom of God, although it might. As a leader, you need to know for sure. At some point, you will have to make the challenge, “… choose today whom you will serve …”

In the local congregation you lead, do you know who are the true recruits from those who are just along for the ride? Or are you attempting to lead the unrecruited?

Scotty