Trusting God is the essential dynamic of Christianity.

Church leaders who teach this to others often don’t trust God nearly enough, especially when it comes to trusting God with our ministry. And in leadership relations, there is not nearly enough selfless strategies to reconcile or enough giving up control.

I have pouring myself into a number of messy church situations. The greatest disappointment on my part, and what always short-circuits the possibility of reconciliation, is when one of the leaders begins self-protecting and politicking to get his or her own way.

When I challenge them their answers seem so spiritual:

“I’m just trying to help hurting people understand what really happened.”

“Sinful behaviors (always in the other staff members) need to be confronted and exposed.”

But let’s call it what it is: a refusal to trust God enough to abandon ourselves to His care.

And let’s get honest about what always happens as a result—disunity that hurts the everyday Christian and reinforces the charge that we Christians can’t get along.

I’m convinced that the opposite of faith isn’t sin, it’s control.

Church leader, don’t default to retrying what always fails—taking control to self-protect.

Instead, decided to trust God and others who love you.