The Western imagination puts a high premium on individual self-capacity and self-sufficiency . We are continually told that we must be self-reliant and that dependence on anything or anyone is a risk to well-being . However , this is a contradiction on its face . We are raised in families , we rely on others to make the things we need , and our need for relationships challenges these messages of self-reliance . The whole idea of leadership implies reliance on others , whether we follow a leader or are leaders ourselves . To accomplish a common goal , we need others . Most importantly , the idea of self-sufficiency puts God , the Creator and Sustainer of all reality , outside the picture . Despite what the culture says ( or what it wants to believe ), nobody has what it takes to live and lead well in their own strength .
Addictions
When the wounds of our souls become increasingly hard to manage , we often take to other measures to deal with the pain . One of the most common is addictive behavior . On the face of it , addiction appears to be a craving for things or actions that one cannot control , but as we shall see , there is more to it than that . We engage in these types of behaviors for a reason . It does something for us . But what we end up realizing is that these addictions are the “ broken cisterns ” that Jeremiah talks about — holding out the promise of relief from something , when in fact they do not deliver and are empty .
The golden calf . The pressures and responsibilities leaders face make us vulnerable to addictive behaviors to help us cope . The wounds we carry get triggered by our leadership trauma , and the desire to escape painful feelings with creations or methods of our own making is strong . Aaron , Moses ’ older brother , and his failed leadership in the golden calf incident during the Hebrew exodus is an instructive example . While Moses grew up with the luxury and privilege of being the adopted son of Pharaoh ’ s daughter , Aaron was born into and shaped by slavery along with all the privations that came with it . Were his parents fully attentive to his needs for care , comfort , and love ? Even if they loved him and his sister deeply , how much did being a part of a despised community in a foreign land and experiencing the shame and abuse of enslavement choke the opportunities for expressing their love ?
Aaron had a front-row seat to God ’ s powerful work of delivering the Israelites from Egypt . Eventually , the Israelites arrived at the base of Mount Sinai , the mountain where the presence of God dwelt , and God ordained Aaron and his descendants as the priests for Israel . He tasked them with the responsibilities of interceding before God , performing the ritual sacrifices , and teaching the Israelites about his ways . God then called Moses higher up the mountain to receive his instructions for the community ’ s life . For the first time , Aaron was left to lead the community by himself .
After a while — a long while — Moses was still on the mountain , and it was not clear when
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