#73: Being a Leader

In one situation or another, we are leaders. We might not be a leader of a nation, but we might lead our children, or we might lead a group or a project. No matter the nature of our leadership, a good leader must have certain qualities.

During my conversation with the Lord, I had to think about the ways that I am a leader. In some situations, there are people depending on me to step in the right direction. I recognized how careful I must be as I don’t want to move others down the wrong path. I need to seek wisdom to ensure that I am making the right decisions. Another part of my conversation with the Lord centered around my motives. Intrinsically I am a people-pleaser. I want to make people happy and I want to make people happy with me. Through this conversation, I saw the selfish nature of this motive and how this motive can taint my ability to make good leadership decisions. If left unchecked, this motive could lead me to make decisions that will bring glory to me rather than glory to God.

The first part of my conversated started with the Lord reminding me that He chooses His leaders. He knows our strengths and weaknesses better than we do. He will place the right leader ahead of us to teach and guide us, and He will give us leadership responsibilities to the extent that we are able to perform them. This is shown in Numbers 17 where the Lord chose Aaron to be a leader.

Numbers 17:5 And it shall come to pass, that the man’s rod, whom I shall choose, shall blossom: and I will make to cease from me the murmurings of the children of Israel, whereby they murmur against you.

Numbers 17:8 And it came to pass, that on the morrow Moses went into the tabernacle of witness; and, behold, the rod of Aaron for the house of Levi was budded, and brought forth buds, and bloomed blossoms, and yielded almonds.

Numbers 17:10 And the LORD said unto Moses, Bring Aaron’s rod again before the testimony, to be kept for a token against the rebels; and thou shalt quite take away their murmurings from me, that they die not.

The Lord knew that Aaron was the right man to help lead the Israelites. He was put in that position of authority and those under him were expected to willingly submit to his direction and learn from him. The Lord knows us as well. He will choose us to lead, and we are responsible for the direction we lead those we have been given.

Leaders are necessary and vital in every area of life but particularly in leading someone’s spiritual life. Intrinsically, people truly desire to know the “right” way and we need to be a good leader that will move people in the right direction past the unknown hurdles. In a spiritual sense, we want to be someone who will help draw others closer to the Lord.

Psalm 67:2 That thy way may be known upon earth, thy saving health among all nations.

Who is your leader? Who is trying to keep you on a path that grows you closer to the Lord? Recognizing that leader will help you be sensitive to their direction.

The second part of my conversation with the Lord centered around motive; motive is everything. In order to effectively lead and point people toward the Lord, we have to have a focus on serving the Lord, not gaining the approval of the people. Determining our driving motive can be difficult to identify, but it is critical to making sure that we are being led by the right force, and to make sure we are leading for the right reasons. Why is it dangerous to make winning the approval of others our guiding motive?

Proverbs 14:28 In the multitude of people is the king’s honour: but in the want of people is the destruction of the prince.

If the motive is to gain the approval of others, decisions will be based on meeting this need and not on godly principle. It is a motive to feed pride! The end result is foolish decisions and ultimately leading people in the wrong direction.

In John 11 the Lord explains this beautifully when faced with Lazarus’ illness and untimely death.

John 11:4 When Jesus heard that, he said, This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God might be glorified thereby.

If the Lord had been motivated by the desire to win the approval of others, He would have run to heal and comfort Mary and Martha. But since He was motivated to bring glory to God, He tarried so that “…the Son of God might be glorified thereby.” Mary and Martha were frustrated by his delay, but the end result brought glory to God. This story serves as a great example of how a motive to serve the Lord will direct our decisions, and how people are ultimately served through our motive to bring God glory.

Through this conversation, the Lord clearly showed me that when I get my motives straight, the people are served, and needs are met. When I focus on gaining the approval of people, then I end up a failed leader, the people are not served, and the Lord left out of the picture.

You can be a great leader when you recognize your leaders. They are those who have been given to lead you closer to God. They are serving the Lord, rather than themselves, for your benefit. Second, remember that God has given you a position of leadership. Cherish it. He is asking you to lead others down a good path, and toward Him. Keep your motives in check to be sure you are serving God and not trying to gain the approval of man.

Numbers 17
Psalms 67
Proverbs 14
John 11

Have a face to face conversation with your Lord:

Lord, who is leading me? Who have you given me to lead?

Lord, how am I leading them to live righteously, and have a closer spiritual walk with you?

Lord, when have my motives been to gain the approval of man rather than serving you?

Lord, I want to be a good leader for you. I want to keep pleasing you as my motivation and lead others in a closer relationship with you. Please help me to be a good leader with the right motives.

If you are interested in having a collection of these devotional conversations, consider purchasing the devotional book, Conversations: Face to Face with Your Lord Book 1 or Conversations: Face to Face with Your Lord Book 2. Book 3 is coming soon! They are available from Amazon by clicking on the titles above.