walk with a limp

Years ago we would often say never trust a man who didn't walk with a limp. Steve Burnhope does a nice job unpacking the intended meaning of that. A leader who limps of course is a reference to Jacob's wrestling in Genesis 32.23-32. Burnhope concludes this is about "leaders whose character has been changed, who have utterly surrendered to God, letting go of self-reliance as their primary resource, and repenting of all scheming and manipulation in the work of the Kingdom." Burnhope continues:

It might be said that overall, scripture has far more to say about people’s character than their gifting. In the wilderness temptations of Jesus, one might say that the issues and choices he faced were to do with character (this would be unsurprising, given his humanity, and it is perhaps no coincidence that the story appears at the outset of his ministry).

This, then, is the message of Jacob and his wrestling with the angel of God, and it is a wrestling that each of us must go through, if we wish to contribute to God’s mission in God’s ways. The battleground is personal character. It is not a fight that God can win, though, not a victory he can impose on us, however long the fight goes on; it can only happen through our willing surrender.

Jason Clark adds how we might spot these limps.

1. Doubts: Leaders don’t have all the answers, and don’t act like they do. Leaders are learners, and learning takes questions and doubts.

2. Apologising: Man is this the rarest of limps. Leaders get so caught up in mission and their identity in that. In the face of mistakes they are unable to acknowledge those and apologise.

And more importantly they are unable to call some mistakes what they are, sin. I don’t mean just the obvious ones, of blowing your top, and bad decisions. I mean the more invidious issues of character.

3. Brokeness: How on earth did we equate leadership with success? A short read of the New Testament should reveal that even Paul was quick to place his brokeness before Jesus and need of others, front and centre. Those who inspire me the most live a life where their weaknesses are on their sleeves, and the need for Jesus close to their actions and life story.

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