What Does It Take To Be A Good Leader?

What Does It Take To Be A Good Leader?

 

Good Morning Friends,

 

At prayer in Immokalee on Monday we were considering what it is to be a Christian leader in a world that so values money, influence and power over creative love. We contemplated the passage from the Gospels about Jesus asking fisherman to come and follow him and figured that the men, having been formed in a vocation that required patience, really experienced more than the request of the Messiah might first lead us to believe. And we thought about Pope Francis’ recent comments on capitalism and I thought about the story of the rich young ruler. Then we mulled over the likes of King Herod who had John the Baptist’s head put on a platter and the character flaws of so many of the would be leaders in the Bible and in the background of the whole conversation was today’s question. What Does It Take To Be A Good Leader?

 

Scripture: 18As he walked by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the lake—for they were fishermen. ¹⁹And he said to them, ‘Follow me, and I will make you fish for people.’ ²⁰Immediately they left their nets and followed him. ²¹As he went from there, he saw two other brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother John, in the boat with their father Zebedee, mending their nets, and he called them. ²²Immediately they left the boat and their father, and followed him.

 

Matthew 4:18-22 (NRSV)

 

Then someone came to him and said, “Teacher, what good deed must I do to have eternal life?” And he said to him, “Why do you ask me about what is good? There is only one who is good. If you wish to enter into life, keep the commandments.” He said to him, “Which ones?” And Jesus said, “You shall not murder; You shall not commit adultery; You shall not steal; You shall not bear false witness; Honor your father and mother; also, You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” The young man said to him, “I have kept all these; what do I still lack?” Jesus said to him, “If you wish to be perfect, go, sell your possessions, and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.” When the young man heard this word, he went away grieving, for he had many possessions.

 

Matthew 19:16-22 (NRSV)

14King Herod heard of it, for Jesus’^* name had become known. Some were^* saying, ‘John the baptizer has been raised from the dead; and for this reason these powers are at work in him.’ ¹⁵But others said, ‘It is Elijah.’ And others said, ‘It is a prophet, like one of the prophets of old.’ ¹⁶But when Herod heard of it, he said, ‘John, whom I beheaded, has been raised.’

 

Mark 6:14-16 (NRSV)

 

Jesus said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life.”

 

John 8:12 (NRSV)

 

Message: I have always had a problem with Peter Drucker’s definition of a leader as someone who has followers. Of course he is right on the surface of things but then Hitler was a great leader by this definition and well that just sets the wrong standard for what I think we are to hope for in leadership. The wise men followed a star and so too the shepherds at Christ’s birth but the star cannot be thought of as a leader. And thousands follow Hollywood stars on twitter but that does not make them good leaders for they are doing all sorts of things unworthy of emulation. I have always thought leadership was more about vision…having the right objectives and inspiring others to join in unwrapping the strategies and tactics. The quest is not so much about influence but about finding the right way… about finding love that is not a love of idols… discovering the truth. That is the crux of the issue in today’s scripture. You see friends, doing things of influence and power in the world is still a trap unless one believes in a destiny of the leadership of love over the love of leadership. Take the love out of an action and it leaves room for the author of evil to move in. The pattern of leadership in Jesus is formed in a vision of love and is exacted in and through love. This is how God’s purposes are always accomplished. That is real leadership whether people follow or not. And here it becomes evident that no leadership is good without God…and nothing is really good without love of the right things. Friends, in God’s love is where we find the pattern to life that is a leadership that lives on and on and on. But unless one opens the gift it can and will be like Schrödinger’s cat both alive and dead. Open the gift of God and discover the life of love that is good leadership… a leadership that lives on in the light of life. 

 

Pray we do not cling to status, riches, and possession as a substitute for God. Pray we have hope in a God that is faithful to meet all of our needs. Pray we realize that in all the things the world has to offer, there are some things that only God can do. Pray in the fact that there is nothing God cannot do. Pray we believe that God is good… nothing but good. Pray we realize there is a difference between human leadership and the divine way. Pray we come to God asking the right questions. Pray we do all the good deeds we can whenever and wherever we are, but pray we not place our trust in good deeds. Pray we realize that no matter how good we are we always will need the love of Christ to lead us. Pray we realize that apart from our Lord we can do nothing. Pray we be willing to give up something material in order to get something spiritual. Pray we follow the right pattern.
Pray we follow in Christ’s footsteps. Pray we follow in faith. Pray we focus on achieving rather than leading. Pray we think well and engage others fairly and stay passionate about the purpose God has for us. Pray we discover that worldliness makes sin look normal and righteousness seem odd. Pray we realize that Christ is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow, so we must change to follow Him and His rule of love. Pray we realize that God will not force Himself on us. Pray we realize that we have a choice to set your own direction or to follow God’s lead. Pray we realize that following is not always easy. Pray we realize we must unwrap the gift of love to discover true leadership.

 

Blessings,

 

John Lawson