Judges 17:6 says it this way:
“In those days there was no king in Israel, but every man did that which was right in his own eyes.”
And when people do what is right in their own eyes . . . they usually end up doing wrong.
What was the cause of the dilemma in Judges 17? A leadership vacuum. Where there is no leadership or worse, weak leadership, people step in and create their own morality and their systems. It’s true in societies, in businesses, in churches, and in families.
So one of the unavoidable duties of a pastor is to give strong, clear, biblical leadership to the congregation. That leadership — in principle and by example — then needs to filter down through staff and into the Body. If there are issues or ministries that get overlooked or avoided, then people with good intentions end up doing what is right in their own eyes — often without reflection on how it impacts the rest of the Body.
Unfortunately, I have many years of experience at overlooking and avoiding.
So I’m in the middle of a re-learning process. Actually, I’ve been at it for several years, and every so often find myself making progress. A little less overlooking, a little less avoiding, and a little more leadership.
Because after all, I don’t want people doing what is right in their own eyes.
I want us doing right in God’s eyes.