You can read Part 1 HERE. As I said, I’m amazed at the simplicity of leadership when looked at it through the lens of Scripture. There are some GREAT books on leadership out there and I highly recommend ANY leader taking time to learn from other successful leaders…HOWEVER, there isn’t a better leadership book than the Bible. And there isn’t a better leadership voice than the Holy Spirit. Leadership is as simple as listening to the Holy Spirit and doing what He says. One of the GREATEST ways to hear the Holy Spirit is through reading Scripture.
Deuteronomy 17:18-20 says 18 “When he sits on the throne as king, he must copy for himself this body of instruction on a scroll in the presence of the Levitical priests. 19 He must always keep that copy with him and read it daily as long as he lives. That way he will learn to fear the Lord his God by obeying all the terms of these instructions and decrees. 20 This regular reading will prevent him from becoming proud and acting as if he is above his fellow citizens. It will also prevent him from turning away from these commands in the smallest way. And it will ensure that he and his descendants will reign for many generations in Israel.
The first reason a leader needs to take responsibility to study God’s Word is: He will learn to FEAR the Lord and OBEY His commands.
I would say that this reason is the TOP reason a leader needs to be in God’s Word. I pound this into our team constantly, it has become the foundation on which I stand as a leader. “Obedience IS success” I think sometimes as leaders, especially as Christian leaders and pastors, we view obedience as a leveraging tool against God. That somehow, if I obey God, He will bless my leadership or ministry and make me successful. We view success as how many attend church. How much money comes in. How great a building we have. When in reality, ALL those “successes” mean NOTHING if I don’t learn to OBEY Christ! Obedience doesn’t BRING success it IS success.
In 1 Kings 2:2-3 David is passing the leadership baton of King to his son Solomon. He says “Take courage and be a man. Observe the requirements of the Lord your God, and follow all his ways. Keep the decrees, commands, regulations, and laws written in the Law of Moses so that you will be successful in all you do and wherever you go.”
I have to wonder, that while YES Solomon experienced great “worldly” success, if David wasn’t saying “Solomon, obedience IS your success”? Was David emphasizing and reminding Solomon that with ALL the accolades leadership can give…all the fulfillment we might experience from it..all the STUFF we might gain, that NONE of it matters unless we follow Christ? NONE! ZIP! NODDA! ZERO!
Leader, stop pursuing SUCCESS and start pursuing CHRIST and you’ll have found your success. Get into the WORD daily so you will learn to fear the Lord and obey His commands. Obedience IS your success. It’s YOUR responsibility. It’s only in God’s Word that we are able to find God’s will.
In the Word,
Jeff
