The Effects of Leadership

Recently I've been reading through the Old Testament prophetic books. These books can be ardous and painful, yet if trudged through diligently can provide great insight into the waywardness of humanity coupled with God's longing for us to return to His heart. Repeatedly the prophets challenge the nation of Israel to repent and return to God. In many instances they first give exhortation or correction to Israel's leaders, who were always the starting point of the nation's digression away from God. It never ceases to amaze me the effect of one leader's life on a whole organization. One leader's pursuit of God or sin can eventually tip a whole group of people toward or away from God. In this vein, last week I discovered a challenging and encouraging passage that rocked my world! God speaks to King David very powerfully about the effects of leadership! 2 Samuel 23:3-4, "The God of Israel spoke, the Rock of Israel said to me: 'When one rules over men in righteousness, when he rules in the fear of God, he is like the light of morning at sunrise on a cloudless morning, like the brightness after rain that brings the grass from the earth.' In essence God is saying, "when a leader has the fear of God and a passion to lead in a way that honors the Lord, he will bring light to his followers and growth to things he touches." The bible gives us constant reminders of the significance of the call to lead. We should take it seriously and be reminded that our decisions effect every one of our followers. The standard is raised when the baton of leadership is placed in your hand!