DAILY HOPE DEVOTIONALS: OCTOBER 31 GODLY LEADERSHIP (2) SCRIPTURE: ROMANS 13: 1; PROVERBS 15: 22, 31; 16: 9, 13 – 14, 32
The major ingredient of yesterday’s devotional is a leadership operating in godliness. It posited that many leaders in the world ought not to lead in their own ways. Leading in godly ways is to lead within God’s own prescriptions of the leadership. We must accept this hard truth, which says all leaders are appointed by God. Whoever God does not approve ever ascends to any leadership position. The Bible says: “Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established…” (Romans 13: 1 NIV). By this passage, it will be correct to say that every leader must lead with God’s prescriptions of leadership since it is God who is presumed to be behind every constituted authority._ How then should God’s established leaders handle leadership?
In godly leadership there are hardly traces of a leader leading as a boss. The boss leads in pride and arrogance; hurting the people he/she leads. Opposite of boss leadership is godly leadership that leads as God plans. The Bible says “We can make plans, but the LORD determines our steps” (Prov. 16: 9 Africa Study Bible). A godly leadership makes provisions for control over anger. Nobody flows well with an aggressive person. With wrath, world leaders treat whoever is not agreeing with them in disdain. Their voices carry wrath on their opponents. The Bible contrast boss leaders and godly leaders thus: – “A king’s wrath is a messenger of death, but a wise man will appease it” (Prov. 16: 14). Godly leader deals with people in patience “Better a patient man than a warrior, a man who controls his temper than one who takes a city” (Prov. 16: 23).
One particular attitudes of a godly leader is humility to learn from his subjects. This is achieved by listening to people, learning from them so as to grow and improving in wisdom. Most worldly leaders hardly take counsel from people. They hate those telling them the truth. But the godly leader knows that the Bible says: “The king is pleased with words from righteous lips, he loves those who speak honesty” (Prov. 16: 13 Africa Study Bible). Many world leaders failed in executing plans because they usually reject counsels from those they are leading. The Bible has said that it is only in many counsels that plans succeed (Prov. 15: 22). Worldly leaders who surround themselves with those telling them lies usually take bags of regrets to their graves. A godly leader accepts rebukes from those he/she leads, but not worldly leaders. Godly leaders know that there are life-giving rebukes and accept them when they are released (Prov. 15: 31). Life-giving rebuke is constructive criticism.
PRAYER:
LORD JESUS, give me humble heart that is opened to good counsels of people around me. I surrender my pride and arrogance to you Oh LORD.
bishopubaudenyi@hopealivechurch
