Tuesday, February 17, 2009
As I read the papers and watch the news these days, I can't help but notice the reports on the financial crisis that has been ongoing for the past few months, dirty politics, war and terror against countries that resulted in the loss of lives, I question myself why such undesirable events can occur, a anomaly,a stain on what we desire something that most people wouldn't favour but it just seems to happen without question. Leadership in the world today equals power and authority. It is the channel in which ways of governance is changed, hordes of men are ordered into battle, decisions that are made which chanfe the face of mankind. And the only candidates that qualify: those who are strong, smart, quick-witted,shrewd, eloquent in speech.
Let me share on what leadership is seen from a different angle,one that I subscribe to from the bible. In general, God created man in His image and gave them the honourable work of naming His other creation(imagine that He could have done it Himself) and the task of ruling in other words caring for them. "Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds over the air,over the livestock,over all the earth,.." Gen 1:26. Since the beginning, men has been made and given the attributes of a leader, whether educated or uneducated, degree or without a degree, docterate or not our identity as men gives us the basic but vital qualification to lead.
Given this important call to leadership, the next thing to consider is what kind of leader are we called to follow from our maker, God Himself.
Among the many prophets, kings and judges God called to lead His people, I enjoy and respected one-king Solomon, the son of king David after his reign over the people of Israel. In 1 King 3:5,
God appeared to king Solomon in a dream and asked him what he wanted to be given. Now pause to consider what anyone or even yourself would ask from the sovereign God who makes and creates heaven and everything else. king Solomon gave his request to be a discerning and wise leader ( the bible stated it as a discerning heart to govern) that distinguishes right from wrong. God was please with king Solomon's request and he became the wisest man ever lived or will ever exist in human history.The result: His people were numerous, they were full and merry, and other countries paid tribute to him. 1 king 4:20