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The Importance of Organizational Structure
Ezekiel 10:11
"When they went, they went upon their four sides; they turned not as they went, but to the place whither the head looked they followed it; they turned not as they went"
What a great statement, "...but to the place whither the head looked they followed it:..." This comes in the midst of God telling about the cherubim's and their work that they were to carry out. You will notice that there were four sides, and each side had a wheel. However, the only thing they looked to for direction was the head. Wherever the head went, they went. This is why they were able to accomplish a great work for God because they followed the one who was in charge. Though each part was important to the completion of the project, there had to be someone in charge so chaos would not prevail.
One of my favorite pastimes is watching the Blue Angels perform. I got my pilot's license as a young man, so watching this precision team perform is simply amazing. They say that when these men fly their jets, they don't look to where they are going when they are in formation, but they look to the wing of the one who is flying in the front for their leadership. By following the head of their team and his communications, they are able to wow audiences with their precision performances. Yes, there is a danger in this, but there is a greater danger in not following the one who is the head.
For any organization or institution to work properly, there must be someone who is the head. One of the fallacies of today's society is the constant questioning of those in charge. Don't get me wrong, no leader should be given a blank check to do whatever they want, but there must be someone in charge for success to happen. If there is more than one person in charge, then division and dysfunction will come. Someone has to make the final decision, and that person must be the head.
For the home to succeed, there must be a head for everyone to follow. According to the Scriptures, the man is to be the head of the home. Being the head does not make him superior to anyone else, it simply means that he has to be the one who makes the decisions. Men, if you want your home to be successful and work in harmony, then you must fill your role of being the head. That also means that every wife needs to let her husband lead in the home and not try to stifle his leadership with her attitude of displeasure or complete rejection of his leadership. The success of the home depends upon everyone looking to the head.
Likewise, the same can be said for the church. Denominations have destroyed God's structure for the church. We have let denominational heads, college presidents and church boards lead the church when God wanted the pastor to be the head of the church. Yes, the pastor is held accountable by God, but the pastor cannot lead the church to fulfill God's will without the congregation following him as he leads.
There must be someone in charge in any institution or organization. Let's be careful about fighting against scriptural structure in organizations and institutions. This structure is there so that success can be more easily achieved. You need to be sure that you fulfill your role in this structure so that success can be achieved. If you are the head in this structure, then lead and lead properly so that those who follow will not lose trust because of your poor or selfish leadership. If you are underneath the head in this structure, then be sure to follow the one in charge. Don't be guilty of causing division and a bad spirit with gossip or your refusal to follow. If everyone will do their part in the organizational structure, then your goal will be achieved with success.