AT THE HEAD

"…Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior." (Ephesians 5:23, NIV)

Tim Finchem. Do you know him?

Probably not personally. But if you are a golf fan, you likely recognize the name of the PGA Tour commissioner, the man who has guided the stateside circuit since 1994. He has overseen the Tour during the coming of Tiger Woods, which also means he has overseen the Tour during the greatest inrush of cash in the sport's history.

Sponsorships have skyrocketed, and the purses available to players have zoomed right up with them.

It takes a solid leader to be the head of such an organization during such a time.

Head.

It's a simple word, but it carries much weight. Biologically speaking, the head is the center of our surviving existence. Touch your hand to a hot iron, and the brain in your head starts sending messages of severe warning. Who knows how many times my brain has saved my life? Seek to communicate, and you rely on your ears, your eyes and your mouth--all belonging to the head.

So it is right that we call a leader the head. A leader takes charge, takes responsibility, and sets and guides goals.

Jesus Christ does this very thing for His own body, the church.

As the head of a band of men and women we call disciples, He developed relationships with each one and challenged them according to His knowledge of them. He knew that to take charge, you must first know your charges. Jesus still knows us, every one, and through His knowledge of us, by His Spirit He teaches our spirits, usually gently, sometimes with real firmness.

As the head of a people who have fallen to sin, Jesus took responsibility not only for the Father's mission for Him, but for our mistakes as well. Sometimes that is precisely what a leader must do--pay the price of his people's incompetence. No doubt Christ has done that on our behalf!

And as the head of this bumbling group, Jesus continues to draw our hearts to His Word, wherein we find His instruction. Remember, it is by following His commands that we show our love to Him (John 14:15). Sometimes He guides us toward His goals for us with discipline that trains. We may not find this easy, but we can be assured that He disciplines those He loves. We can trust His training.

How good it is to live under such a One!

--

Jeff Hopper

February 16, 2006

Copyright 2006 Links Players International

The Links Daily Devotional appears Monday-Friday at www.linksplayers.com.