Bible Students

Reflections on “Biblical Leadership” by Forrest (chapters 15-19)

Christian leaders must be full of Christ-like characteristics which are present in the biblical story. This reading covered many of the minor prophets of the post-exilic times, as well as the political leaders in Babylon, Assyria, and Persia. This covers leaders such as Daniel, Ezra, Haggai, and Esther, in addition to others. 

Leaders must be able to discern the times, even when the discernment runs against the public opinion. Leaders can not be swayed by the public, and must be able to stand against the tide. Leaders need the empowerment of the Spirit in order to properly minister to the people they are given. Where there is no leadership, the people perish. This is not a matter of inferiority among the people, but of the uniting force between the people. Leaders unite the people and point them to Christ in a common plan. Without this, the people will all go in different directions. 

Those who desire to be leaders must be servants of all. This seems like an oxymoron, but the prime example of leadership, Christ, was a servant of all. If He is the example, then no one can claim themself to be more worthy of honor than Him. He chose the way of less honor, so all leaders need to as well. Leaders must not be selfish or focused on power. They must be given to selfless love and empowering other individuals to power. 

Biblical leadership must come from godliness. Leadership must lead from justice, mercy, and compassion, which are all modeled after Jesus. The character of a leader must come from the character of God. Forgiveness is one of the biggest things a leader can do, especially for those who are under them. Forgiveness is needed for all people. Leaders must be forgiven, and followers must be forgiven. 

Making a team member feel valued is always helpful. Saying “thank you” to team members and followers is an always appreciated courtesy which is a great way to demonstrate the gospel. The leader must learn to love others well, which is the most essential aspect of leadership. Leaders must lead like Christ in godliness and humility, which is expressed in loving others well, just as Christ did and continues to do. 

Leaders must encourage those who follow them to push toward something greater than themselves. This means leaders must also push themselves to look to a greater plan, not being inward looking. Moses did this at the Sinai covenant. The Sinai covenant was a greater plan for the people to believe. Moses’ task was to get the people at Sinai to sign up for the covenant, which was a greater plan than what they had before (which was indefinite slavery). 

Leaders must be able to listen to the Lord, who is the revealer of the future. God is the one who tells the future, and so He is the one who knows the future for the leaders and the team. The future belongs to God. God stands over the conflict of the future, and no one can do anything contrary to the plan of the Lord. Therefore, the leader must be able to follow in the Lord’s plan. A leader who does not follow in the plan of the Lord will not be able to succeed. Christians must follow the Lord’s plans, otherwise they will be pushing against the Lord. 

Christians can be considered blessed even when they are enduring persecution. Christians must be willing to go through difficulty, even when it seems out of their hands. All things, ultimately, will be out of the hands of the Christian, and only in the hands of the Lord. The leader must know this. Leaders will not always be praised by those they are leading, and especially will not be praised by those who will not fall under their leadership. They must be ready to take their people through difficult waters, even when that means making certain sacrifices. They must do so without being discouraged, and while encouraging those they are placed over. 

Leaders must be interested in God’s kingdom, not their own kingdom. They must be moving toward the kingdom of God, not toward any sort of selfish desire they have. They must pay attention to the kingdoms of the world. Leaders must be able to pay attention to the times and the world they live in so that they can protect those they lead from outside forces. 

The leader’s view of prophecy and where the world is heading should give them an idea of where the team should be heading. How does the leader react to bad situations? The way they react to difficult situations will determine the way the leader will go. Leaders must depend on the Lord in difficult situations. 

Leaders must use their authority for others. They must be willing to give the authority invested in them to other people, helping to build them up. They must steward that authority to other people. Leaders must reject other attractors and be drawn to the message of God. They must not go astray to other things, but only look to the Lord. Leaders must pray for God’s plans and trust in His sovereignty. They must not seek after their own plans or their own (false) sovereignty. 

Leaders must be diligent to carefully follow through on the plans of God. Even leaders can not depend on the empire around them, but ultimately depend on God. The support structures and the resources of the leader should not be the ultimate source of dependency. Christian leaders must trust in the Lord for their security, not in any earthly resources. 

Leaders must be ready to deal with communal sin. Sometimes many on a team or followership will fail morally, and must be corrected gently. Leaders must have vision and guidance. Ultimately, leaders must depend on the will of the Lord. The leader must be full of worship. Leaders must set a good example as they submit themselves to Jesus. Faithful people must be enlisted into leadership. People who are easily manipulated are not good leaders. Leaders can not too quickly give their authority to foolish people. Mistakes are common and expected, but the leader must not empower stupid people who will do harm with their power. The leader must work behind the scenes all the way through to make sure the mission is completed. Weak leadership is dangerous, and authority is snatched away, leading to danger. Overall, the far and away most important aspect of the leader is submitting themself to Christ. The leader must follow in the Lord’s will and way, knowing how to love other people how the Lord has loved them. Loving others is key to proper leadership. For me, I need to be sure to love people in my work the best I can. This looks like pointing people toward Christ through prayer and an excitement about the Scriptures. Pointing to the Lord is the best thing I can do for those who are on the team with me at my work.