God's Design for the Church

Unity Prohibited by Defensiveness

You may have been doing well in your role as a leader until another leader stepped into the picture. Now you find yourself getting defensive and sometimes even engaging in a power struggle.

Defensiveness stems from:

insecurities
pride

Whether you feel too low or too high of yourself, the result is the same. You will tend to get defensive or engage in power struggles with other leaders who step into the picture.

Defensiveness shows itself in:

comparisons
competition

When you feel the need to compare or compete with someone, it is an indication that you are not accepting that God has made and gifted people differently. You are measuring yourself against another person rather than God's design and the grace given you to do what you are called to do and the grace He has given them to do their part.

Defensiveness is solved by:

finding identity and security in the Lord, not in what you do or how you are perceived by others
an adequate understanding of grace that brings humility rather than pride

Without this kind of perspective, you will struggle to develop or maintain a healthy image of yourself because you are basing it on a faulty premise. It won't work. You will continue to get defensive because you will continue to deal with insecurities and pride.

Non-defensive leaders are able to be open to and benefit from the differences in other leaders. They network with them, pulling on each other's strengths rather than comparing and competing. They realize that different kinds of leaders accomplish different objectives and need to take a more complimentary or supplementary role to their own leadership. Unity is built out of diversity which leads to the growth of the Body.

To Study: Reflect on the following verses and determine their application to your life.

Romans 12:3-8
1 Corinthians 15:10
2 Corinthians 9:8
2 Corinthians 12:9
Ephesians 3:7-8
Ephesians 4:1-7
1 Peter 4:10-11

To Read: Leadership Ministry: Types of Leaders

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