Can Your Leader Depend on You?

They answered Joshua, “We will do whatever you command us, and we will go wherever you send us. We will obey you just as we obeyed Moses. And may the Lord your God be with you as he was with Moses. Anyone who rebels against your orders and does not obey your words and everything you command will be put to death. So be strong and courageous!” (Joshua 1: 16-18 NLT)

In his book, Discovering Followership: Learn The Secrets to Walking Behind and Still Staying Ahead, Omokhai Imoukhuede writes about the power of being a good follower showing how followers are as important to leaders as leaders are to followers. Using several examples, from Jesus to contemporary leaders in business, the nonprofit world, church, sports, the U.S military and other organizations, he shows how leaders depend on good followers and how good followers always become the best of leaders. He defines followership as the "willingness or capacity to be influenced or to follow " encouraging everyone who desires to lead to become great followers. In one of the chapters, he outlined several characteristics of a good follower like Readiness, Participation and Critical thinking, Positive attitude, Reliability and Faithfulness, Submissive Initiative, Teachability etc.

Also, in our text, we see the demonstration of these characteristics of true followership by the leaders of Israel. When Joshua informed them of what God had told him, commanding them to immediately commence the possession of the lands, they responded as true followers with the following resolves:

1. To be available to their leader ( We will do and go..)
2. To obey every instruction that Joshua would give them ( We will obey...)
3. To pray and to work for the success of their leader (The Lord God be with you...)
4. To extend and enforce the influence of their leader to others( Anyone who rebels...)
5. To encourage their leader (So be strong and courageous)

This amazing team eventually went on to conquer lands and receive the long-promised inheritance for the benefit of all (both leader and follower), testifying to the effectiveness of the correct leader-follower dynamic. Good leaders plus good followers achieve great things.

How good of a follower are you? Do you demonstrate these characteristics where God has placed you? Can your leader depend on your availability, obedience, prayer, reliability and support or are you one of those "followers" who make the burden of the leader extra heavy because of your attitudes and actions? Are you an absentee follower? Are you submissive or rebellious? Do you extend the influence of your God-appointed leader or do you undercut it at every opportunity? Are you a source of encouragement to your leader or do you discourage him?

Think carefully on these questions and adjust appropriately. God dealt very severely with bad followers (as well as bad leaders) in the bible. Remember Miriam and Aaron( Numbers 12:1-16), Korah, Datham, and Abiram ( Numbers 16) or Judas , Ananias and Sapphira in the New Testament. Conversely, God also blessed good followers and promoted them. Examples like David with Saul, Elisha with Elijah, Ruth with Naomi, Esther with Mordecai, Joshua with Moses, and the 12 Apostles with Jesus illustrate this. Choose to be a good follower. Repent of bad followership and begin to pray for and help your leaders. Make yourself available to them. God will reward you.

Decision of the Day

I choose to be a good follower. I will be available, support, encourage, pray for and obey my leaders. I will be a reliable follower.