Biblical Perspective of Leadership

Last month I got the opportunity of facilitating a leadership discussion on my church facebook group. Because the discussion was for church folks, I decided to focus it on the biblical perspective of what leadership entails. The Bible is filled with great leadership examples which when carefully read would do a lot of good to humanity. To facilitate my discussion, I dug into my eBook archives on my laptop and came across one of my leadership books the perfectly provide the solutions we are all looking for, it is call the Bible on Leadership by Lorin Wolfe. After reading its content all over, I started the discussion with my group and it was eye opening. Today, I share with you some of the wisdom I glean from the book. Let’s start with Integrity in Leadership.

INTEGRITY in LEADERSHIP

Here I stand. Testify against me in the presence of the Lord . . . Whose ox have I taken? Whose donkey have I taken? Whom have I cheated? Whom have I oppressed? From whose hand have I taken a bribe to make me shut my eyes? If I have done any of these, I will make it right.

‘‘You have not cheated or oppressed us,’’ they replied. ‘‘You have not

taken anything from anyone’s hand.’’ (1 Sam. 12:1–4)

Now, how many of today’s business, church or political leaders can stand before their followers and make such a profound statement? Lately, managers and leaders across the world have often left us wanting in this key area. For instance it is reported that Richard Nixon hired people to break into the headquarters of the opposing political party, then lied and claimed he had nothing to do with it. Bill Clinton, former US President had an affair with a White House intern a few years older than his daughter, then promptly denied that he had never participated in any sexual activity with her.

Integrity and honesty was key in biblical days from Moses to Matthew and would still remain one of the outstanding traits of a good leader. Who then is an honest and integral leader?

An honest and integral leader would not say one thing and do the other, their words and actions are all mixed up. He would not tell the Congregation to go on a 21 day fast when he knows he would barely complete the first seven day. He would not tell his followers to come for a meeting at 6:00 p.m only to find out he did not make it and late pile up a whole file of excuses to justify his lack of integrity. It doesn’t matter how noble or worthwhile your cause; if you haven’t earned people’s trust by constantly keeping your word and being true to your values, people won’t follow you too far. They may follow you to a point, but when the going gets tough, they’ll start to hang back or look around for another leader ,no one is going to line up to follow you through a deep mud puddle, let alone the Red Sea. The principle of integrity as a leader runs throughout the Old and New Testaments.

Consider the farewell speech of the disciple Paul to his followers:

I have not coveted anyone’s silver or gold or clothing. You yourselves know that these hands of mine have supplied my own needs and the needs of my companions . . . They all wept as they embraced him and kissed him. What grieved them most was his statement that they would never see

his face again. (Acts 20:32–37)

What Next?

Think about this: