"LEADERSHIP"

Good Evening to All!

Today's Seed: "Choose some wise, understanding and respected men from each of your tribes, and I will set them over you." Deuteronomy 1:13 NIV

Overhead a huge flock of birds dips and swirls, turning the sky gray with flapping wings an d soaring bodies. How do they know where they're going? Why don't they run into each other? Who is in charge here?

When God created birds he gave them an innate sense of space. Maybe God also gave them an innate sense of who among them should lead.

One of the first things that Moses did when the Israelites were camped along the Jordan River ready to enter the Promised Land was to appoint leaders.
What makes a good leader? Moses listed three qualities: wisdom, understanding , and respect. This is a little different from the criteria for the leaders of today, isn't it? Too often good looks, popularity, and money--lots of money--make today's leaders rise to the top.

Moses needed to set up leaders. He couldn't do everything himself. He needed help to bear the people's problems, burdens, and disputes. We, too, need someone to guide us. But they need to be good leaders. In Moses' case, he had the people choose from among each of the tribes the best people to help in the day-to-day job of governing. Moses then appointed the leaders to their tasks, some over large groups of people and others over small groups. Such division of labor helped to spread out the responsibility and to train younger people to take over as leaders aged.

Dig Deeper: The Hebrew word for "understanding," bin, not only means to discern and perceive, but also to be intelligent and to teach. God wants leaders who are understanding and can pass their knowledge on to others.


Weed & Water: When we are called to be leaders, we need to follow Moses' example and find assistants to help us. It's easy to decide--now that we're in charge--that we know best and that everything should be done exactly the way we would do it. It's easy to forget wisdom and understanding when we're in authority, but if we want to continue to command respect from those we lead, we need to remember to listen and to perceive the needs of those we lead. Leaders are not called to satisfy their own needs, but to serve others.


Sprout & Scatter: Look for the qualities of wisdom, understanding, and respect in those you elect to positions in your church, community organizations, and local, state, and federal positions. When you know a person is a good leader, spread the word to others.


Think about it: What do you look for in a leader?
When you are in a leadership position, what qualities do you think you need?

Prayer Pot: Lord, give me what it takes to be a leader--and a follower . . . (Insert your own thoughts).


Take-Away Idea: Follow good leaders, and lead by following God.


Good Night to All and May God Bless!