Even Jesus chose a Judas...!

When I was attending Bible college back in 1979, one day the guest speaker in our chapel service made the statement, "Even Jesus chose a Judas!" That phrase somehow lodged in my memory. Later, before I ever came to Dallas, while I was meditating one day on the importance of putting together the right leadership team, remembering that statement prompted me to write the following article.

God has surrounded me with a wonderful group of leaders here at Hillcrest Church. Thankfully, this dynamic is not one that I am dealing with right now, but the principle I wrote about is one every spiritual leader needs to remember...

Even Jesus Chose a Judas...!

Every ministry, business, organization, and congregation needs the right team members in order to reach its God-given goals. Jesus understood this and chose twelve close co-workers early in His ministry. Each one of them was meant to wear the mantle of apostolic leadership and play a significant role in the evolution of the Church. One of the people He selected failed to live up to his potential, turned against Christ, and betrayed Him!

Given this outcome, it might appear that the Lord committed a serious error in judgment when He invited Judas Iscariot to join His ministry staff. Scripture paints a different picture, noting that Jesus made His choice after praying all night long, apparently under the express leading of the Holy Spirit.

Each one of us sometimes experiences the same dynamic in our own sphere of leadership. Hiring a particular person may seem so providential, yet their presence on our team ends up creating more problems than it solves. Serious, hidden sins may surface in their life that disqualify them from leadership. Their lack of relational skills may become a source of conflict with the rest of our team. They may prove incapable of performing the tasks that we need them to do in order to implement our vision. They may even be unwilling to work.

Realizing that Jesus chose Judas helps us understand an important truth: God is just as concerned with giving our team members the opportunity to mature spiritually and fulfill their divine destiny as He is in helping us accomplish our ministry assignment in the most efficient, pain-free manner possible. Our team members are more than just a means to an end. When I was pastoring in Paris, one day the Holy Spirit said to me, “If you sacrifice your sheep on the altar of your vision, then your ministry has become your god and you are a hireling, not a shepherd!” When God gives us people to help us with our ministry, He also expects us to minister to them.

Remembering that Jesus chose a Judas frees us from the unrealistic expectation that everyone we invite to be a part of our team will turn out to be the person we expect them to be. It also helps us understand why we need to create a work environment characterized by liberty and accountability.

Encouraging our team members to creatively initiate ways of implementing our vision provides them with the freedom they need in order to develop to their full potential. This shows respect for God’s calling upon their lives, inspires loyalty, and reduces staff turnover. After all, most people prefer to work where they are valued and have ample opportunity for advancement, even if they could make more money elsewhere at the price of feeling personally stymied or unappreciated.

Requiring periodic, systematic accountability from our staff gives us frequent opportunities to change their job assignment to something more in keeping with their primary giftings, should they prove unable to perform the way we need them to. It also furnishes us with a clear rationale for firing them if necessary. As unpleasant a task as that may be, the will to remove unqualified or unfit people from positions they have held for an extended period of time is one mark of an effective, righteous leader. In both the Old and New Testaments, God demonstrated His willingness to sacrifice certain individuals for the corporate good of His people when those same individuals were hindering the unfolding of His plan.

God wants to help us choose the right people for our ministry team. If we let Him lead us, personal or moral failure among our inner circle will be the exception rather than the rule. Should one of those we have prayerfully chosen turn out to be a Judas, God will have a Paul waiting in the wings to take their place!