What should we mean by "a leader"?
By a 'leader' I mean one who guides, who shapes the actions and opinions of others. He is one who represents the views and feelings of others. He is someone 'out in front' showing the way or embodying the principles he shares with others. He is one who has 'authority'. The word 'leader' is elastic enough to embrace all these ideas and more like them. Depending on context, leadership stresses one or more aspects of this complex of ideas. Like so many other rich words, 'leader' insists on having a definite meaning but it resists verbal imprisonment.
Sometimes a leader leads simply by repeating the mind of the community as a spokesman of the community. At other times he shapes and moulds the vision and practice of that community. In this he is 'leading'. Characteristically the leader embodies and/or promotes the principles on which a group is founded to a 'better than average' degree. He would be acknowledged as a leader precisely because he stands for and lives out those esteemed principles to a marked degree. It's because we recognize others as more capable or devoted than ourselves that we are pleased to acknowledge them as our leaders. Our convictions are important to us so we want our wisest and most articulate people to lead us in this area. There's nothing strange or sinister about any of this. As C.H. Dodd put it, "Truly religious people recognize their betters." (Even truly non-religious people can recognize their betters. Christians have no monopoly on humility and honesty.)
I will we dealing mainly with religious leaders. I will be dealing mainly with 'good' leaders. 'Bad' leadership will, now and then, serve as a backdrop for the discussion of good leaders. And anyone who has thought about it for a moment recognizes that there are good leaders who don't profess the Christian faith. Being a Christian, however, I would propose that good leadership is a gift of God to humanity and that wherever or in whoever goodness or giftedness is manifested, it is the work of God. It is Christian imperialism in one of its most degenerate forms to claim that God only blesses Christians with moral grandeur, wisdom and insight. It's also nonsense. But I will be speaking in terms of biblical leadership even when I don't use that adjective.
God's equipping
Precisely how God equips the various leaders is a very complex question and is certainly beyond my competence. There are some things we can say that are no doubt sensible and biblical but they don't explain the mechanics of how God does what he does in equipping leaders. That he does it, the Bible insists. When we see such giftedness, we acknowledge that he has done it. One thing we're sure of and it's this, that the basis of all biblical leadership and authority is God's blessing of the person; God's enabling and empowering of that person. Was Deborah recognized as a prophetess? It was God who enabled her. Was Samuel recognized as a judge, priest and prophet? It was God who enabled him. Did Bezalel work at and teach others how to work in metals and other materials? God had equipped him to do so. The OT is filled with this truth and these few instances only bring into focus what permeates the OT scriptures. The NT proclaims the same truth. 1 Cor 12 (in pursuit of loving unity) develops the thought that all those who lead the congregation have been equipped by God. Eph 4 says with grand simplicity that the leaders are 'gifts' of God (to the Body).
Whether the leader's 'equipment' consists of moral grandeur in character or expertise in some specific area, he has been equipped by God to lead. The existence of his equipment is the mark God has placed on him and that's why people receive him as a leader given by God. The basis of a good man's authority is his goodness. The basis of a great teacher's authority is the greatness of his teaching. In both cases, these are the gifts of God and that's the basis of his leadership and authority.
The person's willingness to do it
1 Pet 5:2 reminds shepherds that they are to exercise leadership willingly. Phillips translates it like this: "Accept the responsibility of looking after them willingly and not because you feel you can't get out of it..."
Only the ignorant think that genuine leaders have it easy! Leadership involves lots of work, disappointment, frustration and loss of comforts as well as satisfaction, joy and other perks. Giftedness must be developed by involvement whether one is a concert pianist, a business man or a religious leader. Good leadership (religious or otherwise) means the individual must make a genuine commitment. It must be his/her commitment. When times get tough and they aren't willing to continue to pay the price it won't impress anyone if they say: "I never wanted to do it anyway. They talked me into it." A leader worth the name doesn't have to be endlessly entreated to do his business. Giving room for human frailty, weariness and emotional lows, a leader ought to be willing to face the demands that his place of leadership makes on him. If he doesn't want to lead then he shouldn't allow himself to be placed in that position. If he's going to do it he must personally commit to it.
The person's unwillingness to do it
The previous point needs to be made but this point balances it. We see it everywhere we look. School-teachers who are under-paid, unappreciated and over-burdened but who can't leave the job alone. We see it in decent and powerful business women who have made more money than they can spend and who have no greed for predatory wealth. They thrill to the challenge of building another thriving business which makes life easier for employees and needy families. We see it in business men who have (despite their honest and diligent efforts) failed in the market. They can hardly wait to raise more money to have another shot at it. We see it in over-worked doctors and nurses who could have an easier time in some other job but who won't turn from medicine or patient-care. We see it in a few genuine statesmen who, without being smug or 'too sweet to be wholesome', fight corruption and work for 'the people'. All the people! And this they do this despite the daily harassment by political jackals and self-serving foxes. When they are feeling the strain and you urge people like these to change their jobs, they tell you they can't. It's in their blood. They'd be unhappy at anything else. It isn't so much that they have chosen the vocation; the vocation holds them prisoner. This is biblical-style leadership. In this Christian leaders and non-Christian leaders often share a common experience.Yes! They do!
Jeremiah was a glorious prophet! At times he whimpered under the pressure. At times he complained that his service to God had brought him nothing but pain. He felt deeply for his people but he had his moments when he felt more deeply for himself and he plainly said so to God. He sometimes wished he had a wilderness house where he could go and have a good cry and on more than one occasion he wasn't sure about the message God had given him to deliver. If he found it so tough and complained so much, why didn't he quit? He couldn't! He thought about it (20:9) but the message wouldn't stay inside. He told himself he wouldn't speak any more but as he walked around silent and fuming the message began to eat at his bones until he could keep it in no longer and off he went again. He was really a prisoner to the vocation. About six centuries later another Jewish prophet, another very human human, confessed he had no choice but to speak for God (1 Cor 9:16-18). Here's how he put it: "For I take no special pride that I preach the gospel. I feel compelled to do so; I should be utterly miserable if I failed to preach it. If I do this work because I choose to do so then I am entitled to a reward. But if it is no choice of mine, but a sacred responsibility put upon me, what can I expect in the way of reward?" (Phillips)
These two illustrations are typical. This is the norm for outstanding biblical leaders. From Moses to Gideon to Elijah to Amos to Nehemiah to Peter. Despite the moments of balking and protest, of discouragement and disillusionment, of self-pity and 'burn-out' they couldn't help themselves. They had been touched by God for a noble endeavour and there was no turning back. Wasn't it Caruso, the famous tenor, who said he didn't have a voice, the voice had him? Moses and some unknown modern school-teacher would have a lot to share, wouldn't they? Daniel and some modern noble statesman could get well acquainted. Deborah and some honourable lady judge or lawyer would have plenty in common. All good leaders, in the Bible or out of it, religious or non-religious, prominent or coming up in the rear have this in common: they feel a sense of vocation so deeply that their commitment has gone beyond willingness into the realm of healthy impulsion. (And to see a school-teacher leaving for home at the end of the day, weary after wrestling for the minds of mainly hard to inspire studentsto see him leave with a satisfied look because of some hard-won victory is gorgeous. To see the joy in the faces of a poorly-paid preacher and his wife when their life and message have finally begun to show fruit in the growing selflessness of some of the disciples that's contagious. To hear the excitement in a Sunday-school teacher's voice as she rehearses the bravery of some of her young students in the face of awful family situations is humbling. To share the joy of a successful business woman who has created an honest stall in the marketplace where people see an island of cheerful fairness operate in a sea of shoddy goods and sharp practicesto share that joy is inspiring.)
The people's willingness to follow
This point can easily be overstated but it does need to be made. In a democratic society (and in a world which is careering toward democratization) and in a culture shaped by such a society, it is necessary to deal with the desire of the people. In societies and cultures where democracy is unknown, leaders are appointed in ways unacceptable to western standards. In some structures (such as some privately owned businesses), the situation is clear the owner is the leader. If you don't like that, you indicate your disagreement by clearing out your desk on your way to another job.
In theory, in non-religious structures, the difficulties in harmonizing leadership and 'people power' should be greater since Bible believers are given clear guidelines about leadership and 'followership'. But everyone with even a little insight knows that guidelines aren't what leadership/followership problems are about. It would be pleasing to be able to say that Christian people need only to be told how to handle such challenges and it would be done. But it would be untrue! Non-Christians have no monopoly on arrogance or excessive self-interest. Christians are very capable of division, pride and unhealthy self-determination. There are men in religious communities who want to call the shots and crack the whips as there are those who will follow no one however gifted or qualified they are.
Nevertheless, in a religious community, those who are the gifted and more than willing to serve as leaders, will have the support of the people in general. They will be acknowledged as leaders even before any public or formal appointment takes place. (I'll say more about this shortly.) So, despite the possible problem situations, common sense usually prevails and people are glad to follow leaders of the calibre we've sketched in the previous paragraphs. Just the same, the man who is not wanted as a leader by the community cannot serve the community as a leader no matter how qualified he is (or thinks he is)!
I'm old enough to know that people have often followed bad leaders and that people have often rejected good leaders. Ultimate goodness lies only in God and that ultimate goodness was manifested in Jesus Christ. Apart from that qualifier, nobody is absolutely good or evil. No leader is without his flaws. Equally, no follower is without his flaws. For good or ill, people only follow leaders they judge to be good and sometimes their appraisal of what is 'good' is not good.
©2004 Jim McGuiggan. All materials are free to be copied and used as long as money is not being made.
Many thanks to brother Ed Healy, for allowing me to post from his website, theabidingword.com
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