I was driving yesterday when a picture flashed in my mind. It is not a good picture to think while driving through EDSA. it was a picture of DEAD RATS. Then God reminded me of the effect of dead rats in light of leadership.

You normally hear people say that every family has a dirty secret that the world does not know. It might be an abuse that happened, a controlling husband, a rebellious child. Secrets that we rather want hidden so as not to destroy the image we project.

In leadership – I call it dead rats.

With the fear that if somebody knows about my past, or a present struggle that I am undergoing, I might lose my leadership position. We have to remember that leadership starts with us. Can we lead ourselves? Because if we can’t then we can’t lead others.

So in fear – we hide our dead rats. And we keep it till it stinks. And we keep it till it rots and spread its disease. And one day we wake up surprised to find out that we have lost our right to lead because we stink!

If we are still consumed with our self-image than our holiness and integrity….

If we are consumed with what other people might think rather than what God thinks….

If we are consumed with our fame rather than making Jesus famous…..

then we’ve lost the right to lead.

James 5:16 Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.