What are your motives in leadership? (80-1)
A leader’s self-promotion may “work” in the short term, but over the long haul it almost always fails. Read Judges 9:1-57.
At first glance, Abimelech seems like a candidate for leadership. He is a gifted communicator and skilled tactician; he set his heart on becoming ruler of his people and he had a passion to lead. But leadership “qualities” alone doesn’t mean a potential leader will be a fit leader.
From the time his father Gideon died, Abimelech had ambitions to be on the throne of Israel. He used his oratorical skills to gain power to lead the nation of God yet never consulted God about his career choice or God’s opinion. Abimelech hired “…reckless adventurers, who became his followers” (Judges 9:4b) to enforce his will. In his first act as king, Abimelech had his 70 brothers, all potential rivals, killed.
Abimelech’s arrogance, disobedience, dishonesty and self-will disqualified him as God’s leader for His people and within three years this self-promoting power seeker and all his followers died under God’s judgment.
How is your character as it relates to the standards God has established in His word and what are your motives in leadership? Emerging leaders constantly remind themselves of the description of a leader in 1 Peter 5:6, “Young men, in the same way be submissive to those who are older. All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because ‘God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.’”
