The Man on TV

I was watching our "leader" on TV the other day and I realized how much older he looked today compared to three years or even one year ago. I know this is a natural thing that happens with the stresses of holding this type of position, but a sad side effect nonetheless, which led me down a rabbit trail of thinking.

I thought about how many people sit around their dinner table, as a family or with friends, and analyze his job performance. How his every word can be dissected and seen as good, or sadly, evil. How often we may view his actions, words, and deeds through the lens of what we perceive to be his intentions. And I thought about how impossible it would be to meet the expectations, needs, or values of every single person under his watch care. 

I thought about how many of us, like armchair quarterbacks, know what he should have said or done, and "What an idiot" he is for not doing xxx.

I also thought about how glad I was that it isn't me on that screen...

There's no way I could deal with daily criticism. There's no way I could have inside knowledge of behind the scenes events and be unable to defend myself publicly because of confidentiality. There's no way I could lead the numbers of people he has been charged with, knowing there will always be a percentage that isn't satisfied, or is downright angry with me. There is no way I could handle the responsibility of knowing that my words, actions, and decisions of leading such a large number of people are answerable to God alone. That thought is terrifying.

The ladies of our church have been doing a book study of "Unoffendable: How Just One Change Can Make Life Better." One of the points the author drives home over and over is the fact that we do not know the other person's thoughts or intentions. To think we do means we are making ourselves God, and we are NOT God. I believe this is one of our biggest downfalls. We listen with a filter over our ears. We have decided we know an agenda or slant is behind every word and we just wait for something to be said or done, and then attack. It's the first thing we talk about when we see our friends with the same view point we have and then find ways to slip it into conversations with those that may not have the same feelings in order to sway them or to give value to our own beliefs about him. 

All the while, our own hearts are becoming cold, hard, and dark. Nothing he can do or say will change how we think or feel about him. "It's all with an agenda" or "He's just trying to save his job." Never once do we sit back, pray, and look at life through his eyes. 

Of course, we deny that we have any anger or hatred, but actions definitely speak much louder than words.

What goes on behind closed doors of meetings? What knowledge does he have that others do not? How does it feel knowing so many things have to fall into place and is completely dependent upon others doing THEIR job in order to make it happen. Especially when those others may or may not have their own agenda. How many times has he taken the blame for the actions of others?

Does he go home at night rubbing his hands together at the thought of all the chaos that is being caused because of his leadership? lol. Doubtful

Instead, is he going home at night able to leave the day's events "at the office?" More than likely they follow him wherever he goes. His phone must never stop going off with fires that need to be put out. Does he ever get the chance to just shut it off? 

When he comes home is he able to relax or does he sit in his chair for long periods of time trying to let some of the workload go, but knowing it is still there, looming over him to deal with tomorrow, or possibly in just thirty minutes when the next text comes through?

Does he hug his wife, wish for easier times, or cry because of the evil that is causing so much of the trouble all around us?

How does the negativity affect his wife? His children? 

Is he able to be with his family and just enjoy life and when he does finally get to take a small break, how many of us criticize him for it for one reason or another?

How can so many people be inspired by what he says or does and yet others want to burn him in effigy for the same words? 

What is it like to know you have so many people constantly critiquing your job performance? How does he carry on each and every day and why does he continue to do it?

Scripture clearly teaches us that God has placed leaders in the positions they are in. Our job, according to scripture, is to honor and submit to the leaders He has placed. How am I doing with that? What can I do better? In those moments of watching him on the TV, I had a burning need to pray fervently for this man. 

And then I knew I needed to pray for my own heart. I prayed to always see him the way God sees him. I prayed that no matter what is said or done that I would never be offended by it, but instead, embrace humility and grace. Love and forgiveness. I prayed that my words would be encouraging, godly, and honoring.

Because truly, I'm no better than him. We're both sinners. We both need Jesus to make it through the day. We will both stand before Him one day. He will answer for his words and deeds and I will answer for  my own. I highly doubt God will care one iota with my defense of, "yeah, but he..." 

No, I really need to focus on my own issues and continue praying for him to have an ear open to God's will and a heart soft enough to act on it.

These are just some of the thoughts that ran through my brain in those moments of watching the television. Aren't you glad you're not in my brain??

But just so we're clear, the man on the TV wasn't the President of the United States.

It was your pastor...