Why I Like Mike: A Late-night Rambling About the Importance of Getting in the Game, Regardless of Position

In Matthew 9:37, Jesus tells his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few.” It occurred to me today that the workers are few for two reasons. Historically, I’ve thought Jesus’ teaching referred only to the importance of the harvest, and indicated if one was not working, he was either unaware of the harvest or unwilling to work. My interpretation included the ignorant and the lazy, but there is another group of people who are oftentimes not working, namely, the leaders. In this analogy, if it were expanded, one might include the landowners as the leaders or masters over the workers. Today, we seem to have an abundance of these. More people would prefer to be a leader, or perhaps boss or master, rather than a worker. I saw it plenty of times during my eighteen-year career in public education. Some might even accuse me of this very mistake. “Just do as I say, not as I do.” But as the Education Agency bosses the local agency, the local agency bosses the bosses, who must in turn boss the workers. Many people desire to tell others what to do, how to do it, and when to do it, but few are willing to do it themselves. And leaders are even taught, “Delegation is the key. Good leaders delegate.” But too many delegating contribute to too few actually working.

I’m not intending to downplay the importance of good, solid, Christian leadership. The idea of leadership originates in the Bible and is a vital component of our existence. Nor am I meaning to imply that the act of leadership itself is not work. But we are living in a time in which people are misusing leadership as a means of selfish gratification rather than unselfish service. Jesus did not lead in order to satisfy himself. On the contrary, he led because that was God’s purpose for him, in order to ultimately meet every human being’s most important need – to know Him and be accepted as His child. But Jesus did not lead this effort by sitting in a grandstand directing traffic! He walked with the wayward and hung out with the heathen. We have too many today who are neither ignorant nor lazy about the harvest. They are aware and willing to get up and go to the fields, but prefer to perch in the grandstand. They see the harvest, but rather than working in the fields themselves, take great pride in telling others how to go about their work. This is certainly not every leader, but every leader can be tempted to fall into this trap…”Get in the game and work, oh no! Don’t ask the ministry leader or preacher to actually GO on mission in a dangerous neighborhood. Heaven forbid! We should encourage those under our influence to go and evangelize, but the leader’s place is to direct and observe. I don’t want to get my hands dirty.”

As Jesus talked about the harvest to His disciples, they weren’t even yet aware of the harvest that awaited them. At this point in their walk with Him, they had no idea of the importance of their involvement in His ministry, or in the harvesting of the early Christian church. But today, His disciples--you and I-- realize there is a harvest; but the question is, are we willing to do the work? Or are we too busy telling others what work there is to do? Are we willing to sacrifice our lives to work for Him in any way asked? There is an old adage that says, “True leaders don’t ask others to do what they aren’t willing to do themselves.” Now bosses and masters of slaves, that’s another story. But Christian leaders should be willing to bite the bullet and work alongside others in any capacity directed by God in any location or situation.

This is just one more reason why “I like Mike.” Mike Huckabee was a pastor, teaching and preaching to congregations of people seeking to know God more. Surely in this role he had many an opportunity to discuss politics and what the government should and should not be up to. But he was willing to do more than talk; he gave up the pulpit for the pew. He was willing to follow God’s call of leadership out of the church and into the world. This may seem backwards to some. For many it seems, and even for me, God calls out of the secular world to serve in the church. But God can call people to lead and to work in any capacity that fits into His larger plan and purpose in any order He deems best. Jesus’ focus was the harvest – the work waiting to be accomplished by those who were willing. The harvest was and is plentiful. May God bless Mike Huckabee for his willingness to step out into the field and lead, by working for America.