How to Follow Properly
1 Chronicles 21:3
"And Joab answered, The LORD make his people an hundred times so many more as they be: but, my lord the king, are they not all my lord's servants? why then doth my lord require this thing? why will he be a cause of trespass to Israel?"
The story about Joab following David is maybe one of the greatest stories that shows a follower how to properly follow their leader. David asked Joab to number the children of Israel; however, Joab knew that it was not right for David to do this because God commanded that they should never be numbered. Yet, when Joab was done questioning David, he laid aside his feelings and obeyed his authority. These actions of Joab were the proper way to follow authority.
It is important that you understand your role in following authority. God judges you by how you follow and not by how your leader leads. Your responsibility as a follower is not to judge how the leader leads, but your responsibility is to follow what he tells you to do. Though God may judge the leader for leading in the wrong way, God judges you by how you follow.
There is nothing wrong with a follower giving his opinion. However, when you give your opinion be sure that you give it with the right attitude. Giving your opinion with the wrong attitude is wrong. When you approach leadership with the wrong attitude, then you have already defeated the purpose of giving your opinion. Don't demand when you give an opinion. When you disagree with your leader, voice your disagreement, but do it with the right attitude. Tell them your concerns of why you disagree. Tell the authority the reason you disagree. There must be something that you base your disagreement upon. Voicing a disagreement based solely upon opinion will be discerned by most wise leaders. When you give your disagreement, lay out your case as to why you believe you're right. If you give your disagreement with the right attitude, then most likely your authority will listen to it.
Once leadership makes the decision of what they are going to do, then it is your responsibility to follow. When leadership makes the decision to do something that you disagree with, lay your feelings aside and follow. Not only should you obey what they tell you to do, but be sure to obey with the right attitude. If you can't follow what leadership tells you to do, then you need to quietly leave. Don't sow discord against your leader. This is wrong! Your responsibility as a follower is to follow the decisions that leaders make even when those decisions go against what you want to do and what you believe is the right way to do it.
When leadership ask you to do wrong, then you must do right. Always obey the highest authority. When I say they ask you to do something wrong, I am saying that they are asking you to do something that is in direct contradiction to the Word of God. They have not asked you to do something that is against your desires, but they have asked you to do something that God tells you not to do. When this happens, it is then your responsibility to obey the Word of God. Always remember that God's Word is the highest authority and must always be obeyed.
Understanding your role of following is important to the furtherance of the cause for which you are involved. If you are following in the home, then following in the right way will make your home stronger. If you're following in the church, then you will make your church stronger by properly following your pastor. If it is in the workplace, then following properly will help your place of employment to become a better place to work. Whatever you do, be sure that you follow properly so that God can bless you for doing right.