This evening, we met two of our IMB missionaries to Hungary for dinner.  We had a delightful time eating at a local Hungarian restaurant called Captain Drake’s.  What did I have, you ask? A bacon cheeseburger.  Yes, that’s right.  After all, while everyone else was having their Hungarian cuisine, I felt it my responsibility to examine how well the Hungarians prepared American cuisine.  So there.

We talked for a while in the main square in Gyor before heading back to our hostel– Hotel Famulus, a dorm in reality, but home for our time here in Gyor.  So, as I’m prone to do, I lead us out.  One problem.

I did not remember how to get back to the Hotel Fabulous.  So, the laypeople who set up this trip, the Petersons, wanted to see how well I did in finding our way back.  I didn’t do so well.  We came to the first intersection, and nothing looked familiar–so I deferred to the ones who knew the way.

Really nothing too terribly profound here: you can’t lead if you don’t kow where you’re going.  Just because I was out in front did not mean I knew the way.  But here’s the thing: if I’m really the ‘front’ guy, I’d better know the way.  Otherwise, someone else will come in to try to fill in that leadership gap. Plus, more importantly, I’m only the leader in title, not in reality.  And this serves as the problem in many churches–leaders are only leaders in title, but aren’t really leading because they really do not know where they are going.

And friends, there are few things that bring more joy to a leader that a leader who has convictions from the Word, galvanized by the Holy Spirit, and set aflame by the church of God to go in a direction that reflects the Great Commandment (Matthew 22:37-40) and the Great Commission (Matthew 28:18-20)–both of which really deal with the same thing:  loving Christ’s and His authority, and loving your neighbor as yourself in making them disciples of Christ. 

Do you, dear leader, know where you’re going?  Christ will show the way.