Chapter 11

True Leaders Are Pragmatic

By Dr. Lester Hutson

I Corinthians 9:20-22

"And unto the Jews I became a Jew, that I might gain the Jews; to them that are under the law, as under the law, that I might gain them that are under the law; To them that are without law, as without law, (being not without law to God, but under the law to Christ,) that I might gain them that are without law. To the weak became I as weak, that I might gain the weak: I am made all things to all men, that I might by all means save some."

Good leaders are not only tough enough to take blows and go on, they're also flexible in their approach to getting the job done. One way or another they get the job done, and if they can't get it done one way, they'll do it another. Lesser sorts back off and quit. This is often a major reason why some fail while others succeed.

Several years ago, a pastor was about to leave town for a revival. He instructed his assistant to print 500 copies of a certain leaflet. A few days later, when he returned, the printing was not done. "Why not?" asked the pastor. The assistant said he'd run out of paper. The church had an open account at a local store within sight of the church building, yet the assistant quit the project because he ran out of paper.

He's more typical of pastors and other church leaders than we like to admit. Perhaps the stakes are bigger than a few sheets of paper, yet the attitude is the same. "If a project doesn't work out without any major hitches, I'll simply abandon the project. I do not have the will nor the flexibility to vary from the textbook case."

The ability to find a way is often the difference between true leaders and those who wear the empty title. Lots of women can make a cake if the recipe spells out every detail. Not nearly as many can come up with a good cake if it's not all spelled out for them. Many church leaders can do pretty well if everybody and everything works without a breakdown, but once there's a serious hitch or roadblock, they're whipped, stopped. They seem to know nothing about going around a roadblock, finding an alternate route, or changing modes of transportation. If the hole is round and the peg is square, they quit. It never occurs to them to round off the peg or square the hole.

Flexibility

Flexibility in approach is a basic quality in all good leaders. Being flexible means that one can bend and adapt without breaking. Some synonyms of flexibility are pliable, limber and pragmatic. Flexibility connotes the idea of stretching, giving and bending. Soft clay is pliable. It can be made to conform to many shapes. Isaiah said, "But now O Lord, thou art our Father; we are the clay, and thou our potter; And we are the work of thy hand," in Isaiah 64:8. Surely this passage teaches that all of God's people, especially His leadership, should be flexible and pliable. God forbid that we ever get hardened and lose our flexibility. In large measure, our flexibility enables us to survive. Do you know what happens to people whose joints begin to freeze up? They lose their agility and become stiff. The worse it gets, the harder it is to walk, turn the head, and perform even simple tasks. Have you observed many elderly people, especially arthritic patients? When joints freeze, they usually get sore and sometimes swell. The less flexible one becomes, the more he's out of life, sports, all activities requiring coordination and balance, and jobs which require physical abilities.

Most things in life require a good degree of flexibility. Likewise in the spiritual realm. People who can't bend and give and take, find it harder to survive. The more they become locked into a narrow philosophy, and close their minds to new ideas and ways to do things, the harder it is for them to walk and function spiritually. This explains why some churches and church leaders are so isolated and struggling. They're locked into a very narrow way of thinking and doing things. They have very little flexibility.

Naturally I'm not discussing flexibility in the area of sound Bible doctrine. In terms of what God teaches in His word, there's no more room for flexibility than there is in pure math or the natural laws of physics. Right is right, and wrong is wrong, yet in terms of application, there's lots of room, and there ought to be great tolerance and flexibility in our efforts to bring folks around to the truths we hold so firmly. God surely shows great mercy in giving men space to repent.

For example, there's no room for compromise when it comes to preaching, yet there are many ways to preach, in church pulpits, on the street, one on one like Jesus did at the well in John 4, in tracts, on radio, on TV, and the possibilities go on.

Most hard church leaders do not fail because they're inflexible on Bible doctrine. They fail because they're too narrow in their thinking. It's their way or no way. They have no tolerance of those who don't see things their way. Once they get blocked, they lack the ability to love the one who blocked them and to back up and try it a different way. Even in conversations they tend to argue and get into confrontations. Their lack of flexibility won't let them carry on a reasonable conversation with anyone who doesn't see it their way.

Finding a way

Flexible people find a way. They don't get their feelings hurt and sulk off or quit when they don't get their way or when a major roadblock stands in the way. No. They accept the reality of where they are, and make an intelligent, Godly decision on what to do about it. Maybe they should completely abandon the direction they are going. Surely they should be willing to do so, if it becomes clear that the thing was not of the Lord. True leaders are flexible enough to recognize and admit that, although the defeated effort may not need abandoning. It may just need fixing or altering. Sometimes a leader must back up and start a new approach.

One thing a true leader does not do is quit. Even when he has to give up on a matter, he's still going on. A while back I heard of a small boy who was standing up in the back seat as his father drove along. The mother saw it and three times told him to sit down. He didn't. Finally the father reached back and swatted him down. A few miles down the road the little boy said, "I'm still standing inside."

I'm not justifying the boy, but I am talking about the attitude of leadership. Listen to Paul express it in II Corinthians 4:8-9,

"We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed."

In our day we seem to have two kinds of service men, true mechanics and parts changers. Parts changers are pretty well stopped if they can't simply replace a bad part with a new one. True mechanics often repair a bad part. It may take bailing wire, a file or sand paper, or repair tools, but they get things going, even when they don't have a replacement part.

Some years ago, friends of mine were vacationing with my family and I in rugged mountains in Colorado. Far back on a steep and very rocky dirt road, my friend hit a rock with his gas tank. Fuel began to drain. We had no gas tank, nor the equipment to repair one. My friend found a bar of soap in one of our overnight kits. From under the car, he plugged the hole full of soap. It stopped the leak till we could get back to camp, get the gas tank off and to a shop for repair.

I'm telling you that true leaders are flexible enough to find a way. They may have to buy a new gas tank or they may repair the old one, but a hole in the gas tank doesn't stop true leaders. A big debt, a cantankerous member, a bad location, lack of equipment, trouble with someone in the church, a member who quits, money shortage, criticism, people who won't perform and those who are against it, are not going to stop true leaders who are flexible. No. Somehow, they bend here and give there, but they keep hanging on, and coming forth with new direction. To them the words of Paul in Philippians 4:13 are not idle talk or merely flowery words. They're true.

Facing the truth

Pragmatism is the philosophy that makes results the test of truth. The pragmatist is honest enough to say, "this thing is not working this way; let's try it a different way." The pragmatist is the Ernie Ford who sings, "If the right one doesn't get you, then the left one will." I'm talking about that certain spirit within a person that says, "By the grace of God, I can and I will." I'm talking about men like Joseph in Genesis and Paul in the New Testament. He was set on the spread of the gospel of Christ, and whatever it took to get that job done, he was going to do it. Listen to him in I Corinthians 9:20-22,

"And unto the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might gain the Jews; to them that are under the law, as under the law, that I might gain them that are under the law; To them that are without law, as without law (being not without law to God, but under the law to Christ), that I might gain them that are without law; To the weak became I as weak, that I might gain the weak; I am made all things to all men, that I might by all means save some."

I'd call that a rather pragmatic approach, and I wish to God that spirit of pragmatism would fall in double portion upon every one of God's leaders.

Consequences of inflexibility

Things and people that are too hard break.

My neighbor has a hard grinding wheel on his electric grinder. It's so hard, it will cut through iron and steel. yet, one heavy blow from a hammer will shatter it. It's so hard it has no flexibility.

Brittle

There are lots of brittle preachers. Many churches are full of brittle deacons and older members. In fact, the whole church is brittle. They can't accept change. New ways, the same old truths presented a little differently, new blood in leadership upsets them so badly, they start breaking up. Many a pastor is so set in his ways that when someone bends him this way or that, he blows up. It's anger or depression. I'm talking about the real results of inflexibility in pastors and churches. Brittleness is one of the plagues of older preachers, older leaders and older churches. They can't flex, so they tend to freeze up in the joints and break rather than bend.

One-dimensional

Inflexible, rigid people are very one-dimensional. They lose their horizons and tolerance of others. A spirit of love for anyone outside their little perimeter seems to go away. They develop a sort of tunnel vision. People are afraid to follow them because they realize they're likely to be led down a dead end trail by a leader who will not be able to find a way out.

Let me warn you! If you want to be used effectively of God to lead others, don't get stuck in a rut. Be willing to change. Roll with the punch. Listen. Keep your eyes open. Keep learning. Repent, and change directions when you have to, but keep going. If you'll do it, God can use you to lead men, but if you freeze up you're finished.

"It Does Make a Difference What You Believe"