daniel chigunwe
Bishop Dag Heward-Mills
MY book, “Those who are ignorant”, says the root cause of disloyalty is ‘pride’.
“Only by pride cometh contention: but the well advised is wisdom” (Proverbs 13:10). The Message version says, “Arrogant, know-it-all stir up discord, but wise men and women listen to each other’s counsel.”
The rebellion and divisions that happen in churches are often a result of deep-seated pride. It is often out of a spirit of pride that rebellion takes place. I want us to look closely at the rebellion of Korah:
“Now Korah, the son of Izhar, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi, and Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab, and On, the son of Peleth, sons of Reuben, took men: And they rose up before Moses, with certain of the children of Israel, two hundred and fifty princes of the assembly, famous in the congregation, men of renown: And they gathered themselves together against Moses and against Aaron, and said unto them, Ye take too much upon you, seeing all the congregation are holy, every one of them, and the Lord is among them: wherefore then lift ye up yourselves above the congregation of the Lord?
And Moses said unto Korah, Hear, I pray you, ye sons of Levi: Seemeth it but a small thing unto you, that the God of Israel hath separated you from the congregation of Israel, to bring you near to Himself to do the service of the tabernacle of the Lord, and to stand before the congregation to minister unto them?
And He hath brought thee near to Him, and all thy brethren the sons of Levi with thee: and seek ye the priesthood also? For which cause both thou and all thy company are gathered together against the Lord: and what is Aaron, that ye murmur against him?” (Numbers 16:1-3, 8-11) Moses was leading the people of Israel. He was surprised to find a group of princes rising up to challenge his authority.
First of all, there was a large group in favour of this uprising. Two hundred and fifty princes were involved. These were not ordinary people!
The Bible says they were famous and of great renown: “… two hundred and fifty princes of the assembly, famous in the congregation, men of renown… (verse 2).
Obviously, they felt important. It is when people feel important that they raise their heads in rebellion. One person once asked his pastor: “Why did the senior pastor not come to visit me?”
He continued, “Why did you take so long in coming to visit me?” He told the pastor, “Do you not know that I am important to this Church?” This gentleman continued to effuse all sorts of disrespectful remarks. It is pride that makes people disloyal and rebellious. You only rebel against a person when you think you are ‘as good as’ s/he. Korah’s group told Moses, “Why do you make yourself different from us?” They felt that Moses should be equal to them. This is the spirit of an equaliser: “… wherefore then lift ye up yourselves above the congregation of the Lord?” (verse 3) They had forgotten that it was Moses who led them out of Egypt with incredible signs and wonders. They had forgotten about the quaking mountain, the thunder and the fire.
(He gives hints on how to deal with, and writes, “Every manager, businessperson and pastor must learn seven important methods to deal with all forms of disloyalty.”)
But, loyalty breeds loyalty. You must be loyal to several people. You must be loyal to your God; you must be loyal to your spouse; and, you must be loyal to your friends.
Bishop Dag Heward-Mills is a medical doctor by profession and also an accomplished author. He is a Ghanaian evangelist, pastor and founder of the Lighthouse Chapel International. In 2016, he brought his Healing Jesus Crusade to Zimbabwe where he travelled to all 10 provinces and metros, conducting crusades and leadership seminars in 14 cities and towns.
A leader breeds loyalty by being loyal to the people who follow him. When it is time for your followers to be rewarded, be faithful and let the rewards materialise. Do not withhold the blessings of those who have laboured with you for years.
A leader breeds loyalty in his followers by being loyal to his superiors. When David had the opportunity to kill Saul, he did not! He was loyal to the king’s authority. He did not execute his own father, and all his men saw it. (1 Samuel 26:8-11)
Many years later, David himself made a mistake. He murdered one of his own soldiers – Uriah. David could have lost his life through that mistake. Many of his leaders could have revolted and assassinated him. However, this did not happen. His men were loyal to the king’s authority. They refused to kill the Lord’s anointed because they had learnt it by example many years earlier. They had learnt not to ‘kill’ fathers.
A leader breeds loyalty by being loyal to his friends. When David became the king, he realised that his position was truly a privileged one. In the midst of his establishment as a leader, he asked for a way he could show to an old friend.
“And David said, ‘Is there yet any that is left of the house of Saul, that I may show him kindness for Jonathan’s sake?’” (2 Samuel 9:1)
These acts of loyalty to friends teach others about the true character of the leader they are dealing with. People are attracted to a good character. People are more inclined to follow someone with a good heart.
A leader breeds loyalty by being loyal to his own vision. Nobody wants to follow someone who is unpredictable. Many years ago, I declared my interest in soul-winning and establishing people in Christ. I am still doing the same thing … a soul is a soul and is precious to God. He may be a beggar, a lawyer or a doctor – a soul is a soul and is precious to God.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: A medical doctor by profession and also an accomplished author, Bishop Dag Heward-Mills is a Ghanaian evangelist, pastor and founder of the Lighthouse Chapel International. In 2016, he brought his Healing Jesus Crusade to Zimbabwe where he travelled to all 10 provinces and metros, conducting crusades and leadership seminars in 14 cities and towns.
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