Loving & Leading
Our world is badly in need of good moral leaders with a passion for Christ and God's people. This need begins in the home, where two nurturing parents act lovingly as authority figures - not as friends to their children.
The need then moves to churches and parachurch institutions, where modern wokist culture is rapidly infiltrating the ranks and further destroying a clearly decaying society.
Those lacking a strong sense of morals will eventually conform to the worldly system. But God's people are called to be apart from that! This, and many other leadership principles are found in the holy scriptures of our bibles. One only has to look past the practices, which are contextual in nature and which change over the centuries, and instead seek out the principles on display. Principles are timeless.
Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. (Romans 12:2)
The serious need for strong moral leadership also makes itself obvious in the business world. Many times, Christ-centered leaders find that they have to unlearn much of the self-serving philosophies taught in business schools and modern corporate training programs. But this isn't a new problem. Look back to Moses and all the Egyptianism he had to shed during the second 40-year period of his life when he lived in the wilderness. (Think days of the burning bush, the time before he led the great exodus).
Another biblical example of sound moral leadership is found in the Book of Nehemiah. There one discovers several key components of successful Godly leadership - prayer being the utmost among them. Nehemiah consistently starts with prayer. He spends time thinking and anticipating and leaning on his own understanding, but he then turns to the Lord and includes Him in the process. Only after consulting God does Nehemiah begin the planning and organizing of the work.
When Nehemiah starts getting the people he's leading involved in the tasks that must be done in order to achieve the end goal (in this case, rebuilding Jerusalem's wall), he illustrates the power and importance of delegation. Delegation is difficult for many leaders because it means letting go of control. It requires faith in other people's abilities. But being on the receiving end of delegation is motivating because it sends the message that you are trusted and needed. Most people will rise to the expectations of their bosses and leaders.
When a leader expresses faith and trust by way of a reasonable set of expectations, that leader is engaged in an act of love. This love is what makes leading - the act of influencing others - possible. This love forms the foundation of mentorship and discipleship.
"If I then, the Lord and the Teacher, have washed your feet, ye also ought to wash one another's feet...I have given you an example, that ye also should do as I have done to you." (Jesus to the 12, John 13:14-15).
Jesus himself is a refreshing biblical example of what strong moral leadership should look like. In Him we find the concept of servant leadership. The act of washing his apostle's feet brings home the point that leading is loving and loving is serving.
While we will never fully master the perfect type of moral leadership in this plane of existence, we nevertheless must always continue to try. We will fail at times, but failure develops a teachable spirit. The climate is hostile. We need courage. For that, like everything else, we turn to our Lord and master, Jesus Christ.
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