Don’t Defend Yourself…And Live Like Jesus By R. Scott Rodin

Are you ready to lead in a selfless, sacrificial way?

This week, I explore the five surefire ways to lose your reputation as a leader…and live like Jesus.

1. Fail to live up to other’s expectations
2. Tell the truth
3. Don’t defend yourself
4. Defy success
5. Lead by waiting for God’s timing in everything

Today, I unpack number three.

(3) Don’t defend yourself.

I admit from the outset that I had a tough time with this one. However, when I read Scripture, I find a consistency in Jesus’s life where he refused to defend his words or actions. He did respond to challenges, but his intent always seemed to be to focus on the opportunity to share truth, teach the values of the kingdom of God, and lead others in the right way.

Jesus defended the truth, but I can never find where he thought it necessary to protect himself. The ultimate moment came when he was before the Sanhedrin, Herod, and later Pilate and refused to supply any of them with an explanation of his mission or methods. He went silently to the cross, enduring their unjust ridicule and accusations.

How do we emulate such humility as followers of Christ called to lead?

After all, shouldn’t we defend our reputation when it is being falsely attacked?

To stand by and say nothing is to see our reputation tarnish and allow injustice to go unchecked. Shouldn’t we be challenging the falsehood of the world around us with the truth of the gospel?

Here is one response. There is a difference between confident proclamation and defense. Yes, we should proclaim God’s truth with boldness, never backing down as to its integrity and universal efficacy. But we should be cautious from proclaiming the truth to defending ourselves. And we need the wisdom to know the difference. I was taught in seminary that God does not need our defense of him or his truth. God can take care of himself. The gospel needs no human defense; it is the power of God unto salvation, and he will be its sure defense.

In the same way, we are called to obedience in how we live and what we say. If we are faithful to our calling, we need not be distracted by constantly defending our views. To those outside the faith, the truth of the gospel will always be seen as narrow-minded, politically incorrect, and offensive. There is no defense of that other than to point people back to Jesus continually and the opportunity to know him.

To the people we lead and serve, while we must be clear in our words and provide clarification when needed, we must also be careful not to allow a misplaced desire to be liked to motivate our need to defend every challenge.

The urge to defend ourselves is often a symptom of our pride and desire to be correct. The person who can speak a word of truth and not have the need to defend that word to every person who disagrees, twists, misquotes, and misapplies is a person who is free to be used by God to continue to speak the truth in love and leave it to the Spirit to lead hearers to the same conclusions.

Can you lay aside your need to maintain our reputations long enough to speak as God leads us and trust him as your defense?

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Dr. Scott Rodin has been in not-for-profit leadership and consulting for twenty-five years. He has served as counsel to over 100 organizations across the country and in Canada and Great Britain, including colleges, seminaries, schools, churches, para-church ministries, and other not-for-profit organizations. Visit his blog at Kingdom Life Publishing.