A LESSON IN FADING TO
THE BACKGROUND
Pastor
Choon has worked his whole adult life as a pastor in the remote villages of
Svay Rieng, Cambodia. In my time observing Pastor Choon, it became very evident
that humility and servanthood were the dominating traits of this meek man.
Whether it was making sure that everyone else was served before he sat down to eat or whether it was his gentle way in which he ministered to others,
Pastor Choon taught me a lesson without ever giving a sermon. The lesson is simple,
but often overlooked: a true leader knows when to fade into the background. Now, in a way, that lesson seems like an
oxymoron. Doesn't a true leader rise to
he top, take the lead, and shine for
the glory of God? Surely these, too, are some of the characteristics of a
leader. But these are not the dominate
traits of a Christian leader. In order for Christ to be seen in our lives,
we must know when to fade to the background. We must know how to serve instead
of merely being served. Humility is the dominate trait of the Christian leader.
We must decrease so that Christ can be seen in all his increase. In many ways,
Pastor Choon is the antithesis of the American success story. He doesn't pastor
a big church. He doesn't cling to possessions or goods. I would have never
known who he was if not for traveling across the earth to a remote village
along the Vietnam border. After a long day of ministry in that land, we went to
Pastor Choon's house. We were startled to find that this man and his family
lived in the back of a storefront. We had to literally step over the items of
the store in order to get to his house. Even where he made his abode was in the background. But maybe thats where
each one of us should make our abode---in
the background. Like David, we can say "I will abide in the shadow of the Almighty." A good
leader knows when to stand out, but he also knows when to make his
retreat to the shadows.
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