When Darien and I taught on the RBC Church Covenant in January we touched on leadership in the church. This topic is (obviously) near and dear to my heart.
What do you do when you want to honor God submissively, yet you know you have a disagreement?
Here is some helpful advice from an excellent book by Wayne Mack:
First Thessalonians 5:12-13
We ask you, brothers, to respect those who labor among you and are over you in the Lord and admonish you, and to esteem them very highly in love because of their work. Be at peace among yourselves.
Paul closes his admonitions regarding our submission to leaders with the command, live in peace with one another.
Peace is the absence of conflict, of course, and it is something both leaders and members must work hard to maintain if the church is to glorify God.
The absence of conflict is not synonymous with agreement, however.
We can disagree with our leaders on various issues without creating conflict, as long as we hold our opinions with a godly humility and graciousness (cf. Prov. 18:2; 19:27; Eph. 4:15; Col. 4:6)
That kind of attitude says, “At this point I don’t agree with your view on this matter, but I respect you and I want to understand your thinking better.”
Wayne Mack “Life in the Father’s House”