"We have met the enemy...and he is us!"

The now famous words, "we have met the enemy...and he is us", were written as a part of the Pogo comic strip.  Having grown up in Waycross, Georgia I am very familiar with Pogo, the comic strip whose setting took place in the Okefeenokee Swamp.  When we think of enemies we almost always think of some alien invading army against whom we must rally and turn back at the gate.  I can remember my old Navy days when you might have a running feud with some member or members among your shipmates until there was a brawl on shore with some other group and even shipmates with a grudge would rise to the occasion to defend one another.  Yet, the enemy that is the most dangerous of all is not the one who attacks from without but from within.  The internal enemy often goes unnoticed because no one wants to believe that a friend would betray them.  Even when there are signs of such betrayal most of us refuse to think of the possibility...until it is too late.  Jesus told His disciples that He was sending them out as sheep in the midst of wolves and because of that "they should be wise as serpents and harmless as doves."

In case you are reading this thinking, "man, I should have seen it coming" as you ponder some past or present betrayal, you are in good company.  Jesus Himself was betrayed by one He had actually chosen as a team member.  There are a myriad of reasons why a loyal friend can become a traitor.  In due time those who are working alongside a leader will see his or her flaws.  It is not a matter of if but when.  A novice in particular has a difficult time following a leader with weaknesses. Let me be clear here and say that I an not referring to sinful habits but idiosyncracies.  We all have them.  From a deficiency of patience to a lack of the ability to stay focused on the vision, leadership flaws are everywhere.  Often these common flaws tend to knock a hero off his white horse in the eyes of the follower and can lead to betrayal.  Betrayal too often comes from the second in command.  This one who is closest to the leader is the one who is paid less and carries a heavy load, always burdened to make the senior leader appear better then he is.  Over time this secondary leader may sour and he or she begins to feel that they could do a better job than the senior leader or possibly they may become a part of a conspiracy to replace the senior leader with another leader who is "much more capable".  These thoughts are devilish and may lead to the destruction of the secondary leader or possibly the senior leader and the entire enterprise.  

We must all carefully guard our hearts and thoughts.  We must reject such mental attacks and keep them at bay.  May we all have the faith and courage to serve with honor and be a promoter of loyalty among our people.  If a leader needs to be removed, let us not be found trying to accomplish a work of light from a place of darkness and shadows.  As leaders we must heed the words of Jesus and not become paranoid but "be wise as serpents and harmless as doves."