Wild Hair

When you look at old pictures and see your various hairstyles of the past, do you think "This is your life" or "What was I thinking?"  I have gone through many hairstyles in my life.  To be quite honest, I have never been very good at styling my hair.  (Personally, I think God should given me a perfect and timeless hairstyle so I would never have to bother it at all.)  On any given day, my hair proves to me that it has a mind and will of its own.  I can use hairspray to try to control it, but to no avail.  It will not be tamed, controlled, bound or pinned down for very long.  Though it seems others feel the need to fix my hair (or maybe fix me), I have learned to accept the fact that my wild hair will never be trendy or make a serious fashion statement.

I believe there are some pastors that feel like they have some wild hairs in their congregation.  These folks are always making suggestions of different ways to do things that are counter to the culture of the church.  They are bright and energetic, but different.  They are committed Christians and good people.  They just don't fit in to the "norm" of the church.  They are wild hairs in the midst of carefully styled heads.  Leaders have tried many things to deal with these seemingly undisciplined sheep.  You cannot force these people into a particular position to benefit the ministry, nor can you control their influence over others.  As much as it may annoy you, there is something appealing about their untamed, reckless abandon to Christ.

 Leaders must come to the same understanding of these people as I did about the hairs on my head.  Just let them be.  God knows each one us (even the number of hairs on our heads).  Our job is not to control, stifle or push into a corner that which we don't understand.  Instead, let's nurture and embrace the unique expression of God through this person.   After all, God has certainly used some "wild hairs" in biblical history.  I think the local church would have called Noah, Elisha, John the Baptist and Jesus (among many others) wild hairs.

Genesis 1:27(NKJV)
²⁷So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them

Most often I find that these people are bold, trailblazers for the Kingdom.  The greatest expression of themselves is not found inside the walls of the church, but among those who need them most.  A good leader will find a way to understand and use these people.  A great leader will find a way to understand, use and release these people to fulfill the passions of their hearts.  God's leader will use their gifts, release them to the lost and learn from them at the same time.  There are many wild hairs in the congregation, but most time we have just choked them into religious order.  Shame on us!

Ephesians 2:10(NKJV)
¹⁰For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.