Genuine and Great Leaders Take This Precaution 

2 Corinthians 8:20-21 (NIV) – 20 We want to avoid any criticism of the way we administer this liberal gift. 21 For we are taking pains to do what is right, not only in the eyes of the Lord but also in the eyes of man.

2 Corinthians 8:20-21 (Message Bible) – 8:20  taking every precaution against scandal. We don’t want anyone suspecting us of taking one penny of this money for ourselves. 8:21  We’re being as careful in our reputation with the public as in our reputation with God.

Christians in Jerusalem and Judea were in deep disturbing poverty. Other churches accepted the leaders’ suggestions that fundraising be done to help these believers who were struggling with poverty. Persecution of Christians in Jerusalem and Judea was intense and had impoverished the Christians in that location.

Christians in Jerusalem and Judea were mainly Jews. Christians who were fundraising to help them were mainly Gentiles, a term generalizing all non-Jews. Jews even the converted Christians didn’t like Gentiles, yet Gentiles were making huge sacrifices and donations that kept them alive. The tribe, race, family and person or people you look down upon, will one day be used by God to keep you alive to your shame.

Our chapter of consideration today is a letter from Apostle Paul encouraging Corinthians to fundraise and thanking them for previous donations. Apostle Paul writes that Macedonian churches were in extreme poverty, yet they pleaded to be part of the fundraising and they made generous donations. Apostle Paul rallied Corinthians and other churches to emulate the Macedonian churches.

In this letter Apostle Paul tells them that he and other leaders are taking every precaution to avoid a scandal or suspicion that the donations have not been used as intended. A good leader doesn’t demand to be trusted, a good leader acts in a way that inspires trust and removes suspicion. Where there is opaqueness the giving drops. Where there is suspicion, the giving drops. Genuine and good leaders take precautions against suspicion.

Apostle Paul and other leaders brought on board a person chosen by the churches as part of addressing possible suspicion. They brought in Titus. They brought in a man who was more on the side of the churches than the leaders. This was to give churches confidence and removes suspicion suspicion. 

2 Corinthians 8:16-19 (NIV) – 16 Thanks be to God, who put into the heart of Titus the same concern I have for you. 17 For Titus not only welcomed our appeal, but he is coming to you with much enthusiasm and on his own initiative. 18 And we are sending along with him the brother who is praised by all the churches for his service to the gospel. 19 What is more, he was chosen by the churches to accompany us as we carry the offering, which we administer in order to honor the Lord himself and to show our eagerness to help.

Apostles were traveling carrying offerings from churches as they went to Jerusalem. How will the churches know how much was collected? How will the churches know if Apostles didn’t take some along the way and used for their own needs? How will the churches know that the offerings reached the poor in Jerusalem and were a blessing and that more is needed? To answer these questions, Titus volunteered to accompany the Apostles. To answer these questions, another man chosen by the churches joined the Apostles team. All these were precautions against suspicion. Genuine and great leaders take precautions against suspicion.

As a leader at any level be as transparent as possible. Make yourself accountable. Take measures that will ensure that nobody suspects you of misappropriating resources. Genuine and great leaders take precautions against suspicion.

People should not trust you because you are a leader. People should trust you because you have acted transparently. Give the people reasons to trust you. Do not demand trust and invoke God’s name to create fear, just be trustworthy. Provide evidence that nothing is stolen or done maliciously. Genuine and great leaders take precautions against suspicion.

Apostle Paul was trusted by the churches, yet he brought in a man the churches chose as their representative. This was an expensive extra layer of trust. The team was bigger and therefore cost more as they travelled around. Apostles, Titus, and a man representing and chosen by the churches. Acting above board is expensive but worth it. Genuine and great leaders take precautions against suspicion.

If you are to raise more funds in future, the people who raised them yesterday and today shouldn’t have any suspicion against you. A genuine and great leader should know and be sensitive about this. When those giving trust you today, they will support you tomorrow. Otherwise you will struggle raising funds and threatening to curse reluctant givers, yet your opaqueness is the problem. Genuine and great leaders take precautions against suspicion.

Take precautions against suspicion that you are stealing resources. Take precautions against suspicion that you are not using resources as intended. Take precautions against suspicion that you are abusing your authority. Take precautions against suspicion that you want people to blindly trust you without any evidence. Take precautions against suspicion that you are sexually immoral. Take precautions against suspicion that you are tribalistic, engaging in nepotism, or racist. Genuine and great leaders take precautions against suspicion.

May God help us to take precautions against suspicion. May God make us genuine and great leaders. In Jesus’s name, Amen!

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