Do skillful leaders need godly character? (80-2)
There is a misconception that the leader must be the strongest, most intimidating person in the room. Yet the Bible tells us that godly leaders are motivated by service not power. Read Judges 9:1-21.
Jotham used creative imagery as he made his point about his treacherous brother. In his parable the trees were looking for a leader. They first selected qualified but unwilling trees but ultimately resorted to a worthless, parasitic plant, the thornbush. It had nothing to offer and everything to gain by becoming the leader.
The thornbush demanded that all the trees take refuge in its shade and if the trees didn’t or couldn’t the thornbush threatened to call down fire to consume them. The thornbush’s view of leadership was that the leader needed to be dominate, demanding and a bully.
Jotham told this fable to Schechem’s citizens as a warning. They were about to crown Abimelech as their king. Abimelech possessed some leadership skills, but he was a man of weak character. Abimelech was like the thornbush in Jotham’s story, he was willing but unable.
Regardless of the skill and willingness of a potential leader, if they are lacking in character, they are not able!
Do you rely more on personal authority or positional authority as you lead your team?
