Empowering and Exploiting

I recently finished reading a book that has stirred my mind and heart more than any book I've read in a long time. It's called "The House Church Book" by Wolfgang Simson, and there is so much in this book that I disagree with, and yet so much that I love and that strongly challenges me. I'll be posting a review of it in a couple of weeks, but I wanted to blog through it a bit. I'll start by posting this table that you'll find on page 125 if you pick up the book.

How to Empower Others	How to Exploit Others
allow them to function	give them functions
believe in them	make them believe in you
delegate authority	require submission
further God's plan for them	make them part of your plans
invest in them	use them
love them, and say so	love the task more than the people
give them what you have	take what they have to give
discuss with them	preach at them
freely spend time with them	require appointments
give them the keys now	make them wait until you retire
serve them	let them serve you
praise them	accept their praise of you
transfer masterhood	demonstrate masterhood

This lays out so clearly what I was trying to put into words when I blogged about Life-Giving Leaders. The column on the left is what I aspire to--being someone who empowers others for the task to which God has called them. Take some time, look at the list, and see where you fall. Are you an Empowerer or Exploiter?