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by Kevin Pauley
Indeed, a king will reign righteously, and rulers will rule justly. Each will be like a shelter from the wind, a refuge from the rain, like streams of water in a dry land and the shade of a massive rock in an arid land. Then the eyes of those who see will not be closed, and the ears of those who hear will listen. The reckless mind will gain knowledge, and the stammering tongue will speak clearly and fluently. A fool will no longer be called a noble, nor a scoundrel said to be important. - Isaiah 32:1-5 HCSB
Many feel called to leadership but few are actually chosen by Yahweh.[1] Leadership is not for the faint of heart and can only be properly done by those who are willing to live up to a higher standard than is commonly held.[2]
One of the greatest problems faced by those who wish to rule righteously is the scarcity of positive examples. "Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Great men are almost always bad men," said Lord Acton in a letter to Bishop Mandell Creighton in 1887. There are very few humans who could take dictatorial powers like Abraham Lincoln did[3] and then freely give them back when those powers were no longer needed.
However, God described what the leadership and ministry of a true, godly ruler would look like for us in Isaiah 32. A godly leader’s ministry should be characterized by righteousness. Whether we lead in construction, the Lord’s church or in our family, we must remember that the principle purpose of our leadership is to draw our followers into righteousness – not materialism, growth or emotional complacency.
A godly leader must rule justly. There can be no favoritism for either the rich or the poor. There can be no bigotry. This means that a godly leader must be very careful to be able to disassociate his or her feelings from his leadership decisions. He must do what is best for the Lord first, and the team second even if it means the loss of a friendship.
A godly leader must serve as a refuge to his people. He must prepare them for the evil day. He must have plans in place for calamities. He should care for them and serve them when trials and tribulations come their way.
A godly leader must encourage the wise. He must promote the intelligent search for new ideas and policies. Those who see and hear should be promoted. The reckless should be gently reigned in and taught. The stammering tongue should be coached in order to help it better serve our Master.
Last but certainly not least, a godly leader should serve as a judge of fools and scoundrels. They should find no favor in his eyes and little patience in his heart. The simple should be patiently taught. But the unteachable, intractable, bull-headed, intransigent fool – there is simply no place for such in the Kingdom.[4]
[1] Matthew 22:14; 1 Timothy 1:7
[3] Granted by the 37th Congress in 1863
[4] Romans 1:29-32; 2 Timothy 3:2-5 cp James 4:6,10; 1 Peter 3:8; 1 Peter 5:5-6
Kevin Pauley is a pastor and writer. He lives in Illinois with his wife, Lynn, their five children and two dogs. His internet address is Berea.
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