Christian Living
Mobilizer or Manipulator?
An honest man can feel no pleasure in the exercise of power over his fellow citizens. -Thomas Jefferson (letter to John Melish, January 13, 1813)
There's a thin line between calling oneself a mobilizer or manipulator. To see the difference, let's begin in the most obvious place -- the dictionary. For our purpose, it's the The American Heritage dictionary:
mobilize v. 1. To make mobile or capable of movement. 2. To assemble and prepare for or as if for war.
manipulate v. 1. To operate or control by skilled use of the hands; handle. 2. To influence or manage shrewdly or deviously. 3. To tamper with with or falsify for personal gain.
Not much difference, is there? Perhaps the difference between the two lies in the phrase, for personal gain. There are many so-called leaders who like to brandish themselves as "mobilizers." Yet, the very core of their motives is for personal aggrandizement, lapping up the accolades (and/or financial juice) from achievements accomplished by those he "mobilized."
The Bible calls this, lording it over:
"Jesus called them together and said, 'You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave- just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.'" -Matt 20:25-28 (NIV)
"Not that we lord it over your faith, but we work with you for your joy, because it is by faith you stand firm." -2 Cor 1:24 (NIV)
In the verse above, the Apostle Paul writes, "...we work WITH you (not ABOVE you) for YOUR joy (not PAUL's joy)..." Paul was a leader because he was first a servant, having discovered that his needs were met when he sought to meet the needs of others.
As the above quote from Thomas Jefferson suggests, a dishonest man will find no pleasure --or compunction, for that matter-- in exercising power over others for his own personal gain. Dishonest, by the way, also means deceptive.
If you're a leader over a team, constantly check your motives and see if you're first being a servant. If you're under a leader, the Bible exhorts us to "test the spirits to see whether they are from God" (1 John 4:1). If your leader constantly wants to make it known that he's a mobilizer, perhaps deep inside he's actually a manipulator. Have nothing to do with him!
PLEASE ENCOURAGE AUTHOR BELOW LEAVE COMMENT ON ARTICLE
Reader Count & Comments
Date
The opinions expressed by authors do not necessarily reflect the opinion of FaithWriters.com. This is especially true with articles that
deal with personal healthcare and prophecy. We encourage the reader to make their own decision in consultation with God, His Word, and others as needed.
This article has been read 748 times < Previous | Next >
Read more articles by Dee Mapa or search for other articles by topic below.
This article has been read 748 times < Previous | Next >
Search for articles on: (e.g. creation; holiness etc.)
Read more by clicking on a link:Free Reprints
Main Site Articles
Most Read Articles
Highly Acclaimed Challenge Articles.
New Release Christian Books for Free for a Simple Review.
NEW - Surprise Me With an Article - Click here for a random URL
God is Not Against You - He Came on an All Out Rescue Mission to Save You
...in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them... 2 Cor 5:19
Therefore, my friends, I want you to know that through Jesus the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you. Acts 13:38
LEARN & TRUST JESUS HERE
FaithWriters offers Christian reading material for Christian readers. We offer Christian articles, Christian fiction, Christian non-fiction, Christian Bible studies, Christian poems, Christian articles for sale, free use Christian articles, Christian living articles, New Covenant Christian Bible Studies, Christian magazine articles and new Christian articles. We write for Jesus about God, the Bible, salvation, prayer and the word of God.