Leadership is a subject about which I am passionate. The misconceptions and myths surrounding leadership have all too often convinced people that only the supremely special are leaders. The truth is that God has made all of us leaders. Here is a rerun of one of my favorite past sermons on leadership.
Posts Tagged ‘leadership’
Leadership as Doing
Posted in Life in the Church, tagged leaders, leadership on August 18, 2013| Leave a Comment »
Leadership in Unexpected Places
Posted in Spirituality, tagged leadership, Old Testament on March 19, 2013| Leave a Comment »
LEADERSHIP IN UNEXPECTED PLACES
I have been reading lately from the history books of the Old Testament. It has been a long time since I have read through these biblical books of Samuel, Kings, and Chronicles. You know how it is . . . the New Testament is so fascinating that it monopolizes one’s Bible reading time. These past few years I have been translating from the Greek from Romans to Paul’s Epistles. Apparently I had forgotten the OT.
To be fair, it is easier to see God through the lens of his Son, Jesus Christ by reading the New Testament. Not that God cannot be seen or understood in the Old Testament. It just takes more work. Even so, it is rewarding.
I came across a powerful reminder of God’s modus operandi when I reread the story of God directing Samuel to choose a new king for Israel. Samuel was commanded to review the sons of Jesse and choose from amongst them the replacement for King Saul. Samuel must have been overwhelmed when he saw Eliab, Jesse’s oldest son. Apparently, he was tall and strikingly good looking. This has to be him, Samuel thought to himself. Until, that is, until God redirected him by reminding that the obvious choice is not always God’s choice. “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart” (I Samuel 16:7).
In the end, David, the youngest, smallest, least likely candidate, is God’s choice to be King. How like God!
The New Testament again reminds of God’s unlikely choices: “But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him” (I Cor 1:27-29).
Leadership indeed comes in unexpected places. This is a biblical lesson even we faithful believers forget over and over and over again. We look to the obvious choice to be our next leader. We look to worldly criteria in making our decisions. Instead, God looks to the heart for it is the heart that gives the leader his strength, authority, and commission.
compurev 