What Does God Say About Leadership: Checking the Walls

Wells Fargo employees opened thousands of accounts for customers without their knowledge to meet sales goals. Larry Nassar remained in his position at Michigan State University and the USA Olympic team for years despite abusing more than 150 females in his care.

A youth pastor who counseled young people about drugs was arrested for selling drugs. What is happening to leadership?

Leadership is influence. We lead those we influence. Christian leaders do not always occupy official positions in churches. The most effective Christian leaders influence others to follow Jesus Christ, usually within the context of personal relationships. Their spiritual health is critical.

What does God say about leadership? Nehemiah had effective leadership philosophies and practices. He demonstrated effective leadership while he oversaw the rebuilding of Jerusalem’s wall. The Babylonians had partially destroyed that wall after they conquered Jerusalem and deported its surviving residents to Babylon about 90 years earlier (2 Chronicles 36:18-19).

Nehemiah assumed three leadership roles. His first was as cupbearer of King Artaxerxes. He tasted the king’s wine and food to protect him. His relationship with the king gave him vast influence.

Nehemiah’s second leadership role was as a wise builder. He formulated rebuilding plans in Jerusalem after surveying its ruined wall late at night (Nehemiah 2:13-14). Initially, he kept his plans secret. Then he communicated and executed them.

Nehemiah 3-5 describes rebuilding the wall. Nehemiah completed the project in 52 days despite much opposition.

Nehemiah’s third leadership role was as an elected governor (Nehemiah 5). He delegated authority by placing spiritual people at the helm of the city’s leadership.

Nehemiah began with an inventory, and so must we. The wall around Jerusalem protected the city and the temple.

Christians are the temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:19). In what condition is the wall that protects us from our enemies? Selfishness, lack of discipline, procrastination, immorality, being too busy for God, compromise, and rebellion break down that wall.

I hope we are not satisfied with our present spiritual health and commitment to Jesus. If we are, our walls are broken down. Satisfaction breeds apathy. We must live what we believe. We all have room for improvement.

God is not important to non-Christians, and they live like it. If we have goals and values inconsistent with our faith, we are not living what we say we believe. We have broken walls.

The bias of nature is toward the wilderness, not a productive field. A pasture of my youth was left unattended. It is now a tangled forest of sumac and other low-value trees.

The bias of our old nature is never toward spiritual fruit. We must remain watchful. In what condition are your spiritual walls? What is your takeaway?

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God has empowered me to write His Power for Your Weakness—260 Steps Toward Spiritual Strength. It’s a free, evangelistic, devotional, and discipleship e-book. Pastors have used it in Malawi, Mozambique, and Zambia to lead 6,714 people to Christ and teach the basics of Christianity to 15,936 people. I invite you to explore and use it in your setting.

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