I Don't Want To...

"I am sure that he simply wasn't feeling well..."
"He has been sitting under your teaching for a long time..."
"You know, maybe he didn't have an answer..."
"You can't expect everyone to participate..."
"Everyone doesn't have to be like you want..."
"Maybe he didn't understand the instructions..."

Recently, a young teacher refused to particpate in a leadership survey because of some "undefined reason."  All of the above reasons  (really, excuses) were generated by his peers in effort to come up with some reason (really, excuse) for his independent (really, rebellious) behavior.  Excuses, excuses, excuses!  I do the same thing - making them up for people I like so that they don't look as stupid as their actions.  Let's take a look at those excuses really quickly...

"I am sure that he simply wasn't feeling well..."
How sick can a thrity something be to not check one box out of five?  How sick must we be to not pick up a pen and check one box?  Behind him sat a woman who hobbles with crutches and endures spinal pain every day - she finished her survey.  How sick and tired do we have to be to be unable to pick up a pencil?  Does he exercise, sleep and eat right?  Was he too tired to eat lunch - it would seem that driving would be harder than writing!

"They have been sitting under your teaching for a long time..."
Good! Then he knew as much as his leader, if not more, so he should have been able to fill out the survey before the leader even taught or asked.  Why didn't he?

"You know, maybe they didn't have an answer..."
I love this one.  If he didn't have an answer, then perhaps he should still have turned in the response card as requested and written something in or asked a question.  Do you really think he had no opinion of his life?

"You can't expect everyone to participate..."
Why not? Isn't that what followers are supposed to do?  Didn't they come to learn?

"Everyone doesn't have to be like you want..."
The classic answer of the one who doesn't want to go with the flow.  We weren't asking for a life change or conformity, just an answer to a few simple questions.

"Maybe his response is so personal that he doesn't want..."
Shy people don't usually teach.  This is the best excuse of the bunch for someone we don't yet know well but it is a stinky excuse for a long time member and teacher.

"Maybe he didn't understand the instructions..."
Really.  It is hard to check one box out of five - really difficult.

Excuses, excuses, excuses!  Let's be real.  He didn't want to do it for whatever reason or he would have done it.  For once, someone call it like it is - he just did his own thing.  He didn't care about what he was asked or what the leader was trying to accomplish.  It wasn't important to him and he didn't want to fill out the survey.

He has freedom of choice.  We all have freedom of choice.  However, when we choose to do our own thing or not to follow - just because - we exhibit the very root of all man's problems with God - our way.  In the same way that our way separates us from God's way - our way separates us from our leaders way and the way of the Body.  No one has to be the same and do the same or look the same - after all the Body is made up of many parts: hands, eyes, head, feet and so on.  However, we cannot be part of a Body if the eyes cannot follow the foot and the foot cannot go to the same place with the hand.

If we are going to be part of a Body or a local Body, then we have to be committed to selflessness, following, walking alongside, investing and acting as a group, a body and a family.  When we just do our own thing while we are with the Body, we exhibit the root of man's rebellion against God and we should be very concerned because we cannot be part of the body while we "just don't want" what the Body is doing.  Paul talked about this when he taught, "Be unified in all things."  Unity doesn't just mean "agree in all things" but instead unity mandates that we go together while we are together - even in the little things. 

Who cares about the survey? It doesn't really matter but our emerging leader would have done well to practice following, unity and respect.  Perhaps he will understand more when one day he needs others to follow.  We all should practice unity and following in the little things and know that the little things always reveal our character and readiness for seemingly greater things.