The Importance of Good Leadership
My children are young, and as they watch the news, they hear a fair share about our president, President Donald Trump. One of the first questions I was asked by my oldest was: “How did Trump become president?” I appreciate the question because it is a great opportunity to explain the voting process and the importance of voting for a good and strong leader.
More and more these days, It seems that the younger generations either 1) don’t care so much about the leadership or 2) they disrespect the leadership office so it doesn’t even matter who is elected. We get lackadaisical and comfortable that leadership isn’t all that big of a deal anyway thinking that things will work out and continue as they always have. We also look down on leaders no matter who they are. We disrespect them regardless of who is in office and therefore don’t take them as seriously as we should.
But leadership is important! Our leaders need to be held to high standards and we need to take who are leaders are seriously! This statement is not a political statement, but a Biblical one and applies to both secular and religious leadership.
Jeremiah and Isaiah are two books that show the result of bad leadership (of course, other books do too). Dispersed throughout the passages are declarations on the poor guidance of the teachers, prophets, kings, and priests who ultimately lead the people of Judah to their destruction by Babylon.
Of course, the people of Judah (the flock) are also condemned but the leaders are specified often as one of the major reasons for the judgement of God. As good stewards of the Bible, we should learn from history (I mean that is why God recorded this for us!). Leadership is important!
I came to a passage in Jeremiah 10 that reminded me about how important a good leader is and how devastating a bad leader is. That got me thinking back to how often leadership is mentioned in Isaiah and Jeremiah.
Jeremiah 10:21 (KJV)
For the pastors are become brutish, and have not sought the Lord: therefore they shall not prosper, and all their flocks shall be scattered.
Here is some passage background: Jeremiah is preaching mostly to the people of Judah who have sought after idolatry instead of God. As a result of their rejection of God, God will send judgment in the form of an army from the north, which we know is Babylon. The people will be killed and taken captive for 70 years before they will be able to return to their land. In chapter 10, God compares Himself to the worthless idols that the people worship illuminating not only the foolishness of the people, but the reason that the land of Judah will be left empty with no one to repair it. God then, in verse 21, details that it was the “pastors” or leaders who led themselves and their flocks to destruction. It started with bad leadership!
As I mentioned previously, both Isaiah and Jeremiah repeatedly warned of the bad leadership. Here are a few of the other passages in Isaiah and Jeremiah dealing with bad leaders.
Isaiah 1:23-27 (KJV): Thy princes are rebellious, and companions of thieves: every one loveth gifts, and followeth after rewards: they judge not the fatherless, neither doth the cause of the widow come unto them.Therefore saith the Lord, the Lord of hosts, the mighty One of Israel, Ah, I will ease me of mine adversaries, and avenge me of mine enemies:And I will turn my hand upon thee, and purely purge away thy dross, and take away all thy tin:And I will restore thy judges as at the first, and thy counsellors as at the beginning: afterward thou shalt be called, The city of righteousness, the faithful city.Zion shall be redeemed with judgment, and her converts with righteousness.
Isaiah 9:14-17 (KJV): Therefore the Lord will cut off from Israel head and tail, branch and rush, in one day. The ancient and honourable, he is the head; and the prophet that teacheth lies, he is the tail. For the leaders of this people cause them to err; and they that are led of them are destroyed. Therefore the Lord shall have no joy in their young men, neither shall have mercy on their fatherless and widows: for every one is an hypocrite and an evildoer, and every mouth speaketh folly. For all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still.
Jeremiah 23:1-4 (KJV): Woe be unto the pastors that destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture! saith the Lord. Therefore thus saith the Lord God of Israel against the pastors that feed my people; Ye have scattered my flock, and driven them away, and have not visited them: behold, I will visit upon you the evil of your doings, saith the Lord. And I will gather the remnant of my flock out of all countries whither I have driven them, and will bring them again to their folds; and they shall be fruitful and increase. And I will set up shepherds over them which shall feed them: and they shall fear no more, nor be dismayed, neither shall they be lacking, saith the Lord.
Poor guidance from leaders in Judah cause the people to sin! It was this sin that broke the covenant established between God and His people. The broken covenant required that God send the people out of the promised land.
Poor leadership will do the same to us! Our promised land is heaven, folks. We will not be admitted into our promised land in sin! God is holy and cannot have it. The leadership of our churches is important: even for our very souls! We should hold them to every Biblical standard and take the position seriously!
When we disrespect or casually support the position of pastor or deacon or elder etc., we tend to loosen our standards on the leader. The Bible tells us we need to hold our leaders, especially our religious leaders, to the highest of standards to thwart apostasy entering into our congregations. Some find the Biblical standards unfair but are they? If leadership can bring sin and destruction to a flock, shouldn’t we take it seriously?
Good leadership is vital in our churches and also in our secular lives. God takes leadership seriously, hence the reason why He places high standards on leaders. Bad leaders can take us in the path of destruction. It may be slow but they will destroy the flock. Let’s hold our pastors or leaders (especially the religious leaders) to the Biblical standard so that we don’t end up like the people of Judah.
1 Timothy 3:1-13 (KJV)
3 This is a true saying, if a man desire the office of a bishop, he desireth a good work.
A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behaviour, given to hospitality, apt to teach;
Not given to wine, no striker, not greedy of filthy lucre; but patient, not a brawler, not covetous;
One that ruleth well his own house, having his children in subjection with all gravity;
(For if a man know not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the church of God?)
Not a novice, lest being lifted up with pride he fall into the condemnation of the devil.
Moreover he must have a good report of them which are without; lest he fall into reproach and the snare of the devil.
Likewise must the deacons be grave, not doubletongued, not given to much wine, not greedy of filthy lucre;
Holding the mystery of the faith in a pure conscience.
And let these also first be proved; then let them use the office of a deacon, being found blameless.
Even so must their wives be grave, not slanderers, sober, faithful in all things.
Let the deacons be the husbands of one wife, ruling their children and their own houses well.
For they that have used the office of a deacon well purchase to themselves a good degree, and great boldness in the faith which is in Christ Jesus.
Do you have a question? Do you have something to add? Leave a comment below or on my contact page! I am more than happy to engage in friendly discussions. Thank you!