Is your team in a downward spiral? (77-4)
The book of Judges can help a leader understand a cycle that is repeated, even today, when there is no central leader to give voice and example to godly core values and goals. Read Judges 2-16.
Without a leader to keep them focused on core values and God’s central goal, the people of Israel went through a series of downward-spiraling cycles. The people found themselves oppressed by foreign powers because without the leader’s constant restatement of goals that kept them focused, they gradually forgot about their part of the covenant with God and became disobedient. Each of these downward-cycles is characterized by:
- Idolatry – The people lose focus on God and their need for God which leads to idolatry;
- Persecution – God removes His protection and the people are dominated by other nations;
- Repentance – The people finally repent and cry to the Lord for deliverance;
- Deliverance – The Lord responds by raising up a judge to deliver them; and
- Peace – The people have years of peace until the cycle begins again.
In The Maxwell Leadership Bible, John Maxwell describes this as the Organizational Cycle: Understanding the Pattern of People.
Leaders must understand how people think and behave. The book of Judges provides a vivid biography of leaders, followers, and human nature, and describes a cycle repeated even today. Note the distinct patterns that recur repeatedly in this book:
- Rebellion – when things go well, people drop their guard. They relax and pay less attention to details. Peacetime brings a greater chance of rebellion than wartime. In prosperous times, fallen people naturally express their bent toward independence and rebellion.
- Repression – repression follows rebellion. Whether God sends an enemy or the people cause their own misery, they endure hardship, calamity, invasion, or natural disaster. Poor life choices result in retribution.
- Repentance – extreme hardships often trigger community-wide repentance. The repression serves as a wake-up call. Individuals begin to refocus on what is really important and purify their motives and behavior. Organizations cut budgets, downsize, and check egos.
- Restoration – purification leads to restoration. People regain the blessings they once had or acquire what had been intended for them. When they begin to obey God, peace returns to the land once more. And the cycle of fallen human behavior has run its full course.
Are you able to evaluate where your organization is in this cycle? Once an effective leader understands the cycle and identifies their current position, they can break the cycle by refocusing their team on godly core values, mission and goals.
