Profiles in Leadership: Adam – An Abdication of Responsibility

When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was desirable to make one wise, she took from its fruit and ate; and she gave also to her husband with her, and he ate. Then Adam said (to God), “The woman, whom You gave to be with me, she gave me of the tree and I ate.” Genesis 3:6 & 12 Adam was the first spiritual leader in history. This meant overseeing the garden and providing direction to his family. Similar to today, he was charged with being a good steward over his resources and relationships. Unfortunately, he failed in both areas. When Eve brought the forbidden fruit to Adam, he mismanaged God’s creation by remaining passive when he should have taken a stand, thus allowing both Eve and himself to fall morally. When God confronted him with his sin, he “passed the buck” – he blamed God. Adam was apparently also a poor communicator. His message (from God to be passed onto Eve) to avoid the forbidden fruit, broke down for 5 basic reasons: First, he ignored some of the details in the message he was supposed to communicate. Second, he allowed Eve’s voice to influence him more than God’s voice. Third, he failed to hold himself accountable for the communication. Fourth, he forgot what God said about the consequences of disobedience. Finally, he did not take responsibility for the results of his faulty communication. Spiritual leadership isn’t complex; it simply requires a willingness to take responsibility. Sadly, like Adam, many leaders shirk their responsibilities at home, in the neighborhood, in the community, on the job, and/or in their church. Adam’s failure started at home, but in a very short time it damaged all his relationships, spoiled the beautiful place he lived in, and ultimately devastated the entire world. And the whole mess can be traced back to one spineless refusal to lead. Are there any areas of your life where you can relate to Adam? Please comment below or email me directly at curtis.songer@gmail.com