No leader can succeed if their followers put idolatrous trust in them. Since God has pronounced a curse on those who put their faith in man. Jeremiah 17:5 states"... Curse is the one who trusts in man, who depends on flesh for his strength..."
It has been the practice of man throughtout history to put their trust in leaders rather than God. There is an interesting example in Judges 8:22 - 23 after God used the insignificant Gideon and his 300 hundred men to defeat approximately 135,000 Midianites soldiers and liberated Israel from slavery; the people instead of putting their trust in God, who used Gideon and his men to give them victory, immediately began to focus on Gideon the leader rather than God. Hear what the people said, in verse 22 "Rule over us - you, your son and your grandson- because you have saved us out of the hand of the Midianites." Notice their emphasis, "You have saved us".
This has been the crisis in world politics and all spheres of leadership, including the church. People have been focusing on the leaders that God has given them rather than God Himself. As a result, God's declaration in Jeremiah that "curse is the one that trust in man", has come through in their lives.
The crisis is increased when leaders accept the idolatrous focus given to them by their followers. They even go further, by giving the people more promises than they know they can fulfill. But true authentic leaders turn people away from themselves to God.
Look how Gideon responded to the idolatrous Israelites in verse 23; "I will not rule over you, nor will my son rule over you. The Lord will rule over you." This should be the spirit and attitude of every leader to their followers who want to put them in the place of God.
Leaders and followers who put their trust in man's ability rather than God's grace will certainly fail, because they are under the curse of God. FOCUS ON GOD, FOR HE IS THE ULTIMATE LEADER AND HE BLESSES THOSE WHO PUT THEIR TRUST IN HIM,as Jeremiah 17:7 says, "... Bless is the man who trusts in the Lord ..."
