Oftentimes, what should be an honor can become burdensome if one is not careful. Being in a position of authority is not bad. It often looks and feels good. However, the looks and the feelings of it are not all there is to it. It demands work. This may sound like a cliche, but “From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded, and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.” (Luke 12:48). It doesn’t matter which position of leadership a person may be in, it can be as simple as being the big sister in the family; that comes with work too. This means the big sister can’t behave like the little sister, throwing a tantrum every time she feels like it or when things don’t go her way. There is a level of maturity and responsibility that comes with being in a position of authority. And the same principle applies whether you are the CEO of the company, the head of the household, or the head of the janitorial department. Any leadership role demands work. It can even feel like torture at times, because you can’t get away with anything. Interestingly, God’s perspective on leadership roles is no different; in fact, God calls His leaders to even higher standards.
I have realized that God is not impressed when someone holds a CEO position, but what matters to God is that the CEO is a representative of His kingdom, a righteous leader, one who is under His authority.
Now, why does God insist on having His representatives on earth? Why is God all about righteousness?
It’s because the worldly system is not working. If it were working, there wouldn’t be so much pain, hatred, envy, poverty, oppression, murder, and the like. As for God, it is not about whether a person is in a high position; it is about how he handles it and how he treats people under his leadership.
I’m sure you’ve heard the saying that goes “It’s not how you begin, but it’s how you finish.” Finishing well demands that you rely on God every step of the way, even when facing adversities. It’s about keeping the momentum until the finish line. It makes sense why God will prepare a king many years before positioning him. According to God, it’s not only about stepping into the position, but it’s about having the spiritual drive to stay the course even when the going gets tough. The expression goes like this: “When the going gets tough, the tough get going.”
Now, why is it important to God that we lead well?
What could prevent us from honoring God in our leadership?
And what can be the consequences of bad leadership?
Let’s start by answering why that is important to God.
It is important to God that we lead well because God sees everything from a kingdom’s perspective. For example, when God allows you to invade a territory or to step into a high position, that victory alone didn’t come easily, and it didn’t happen overnight either. God had to fight on your behalf to get you to that position; that’s why we often say, “If the Lord had not been on our side when people attacked us, they would have swallowed us alive when their anger flared against us.” (Psalm 124: 1-3). Therefore, it was the mighty hand of God that got us where we are. We’ve had to endure all kinds of hardships and lose some friends and things along the way to be in the position God wants us to be. However, most of us, after achieving that milestone, tend to relax because we think our opponents have forgotten about us. The thing is, they don’t because they don’t cease to exist after we’ve reached a milestone. They are still waiting for an opportune time to get back at us, and that’s why Scripture says that we must be vigilant. (1 Peter 5:8)
Let’s consider David, for example; even after David was anointed king, he still had opposition. For instance, King Saul was hoping and waiting for David’s downfall because he got jealous of David’s popularity.
The reason why God’s people face opposition is that there is a battle going on between two kingdoms. Jesus Himself faced opposition while He was here on earth. So, He knows how to handle our battles. He is in the middle of the fight with us, and He is fighting for us. Therefore, we must remember that whatever we are facing right now is no match for God, and when He is on our side, victory is guaranteed.
God kept me in a job as a caregiver for about 14 years total. I got tired of it and started complaining about that job in the second year, but I had no idea I had 10 more years to go. Yet, that’s where God trained, pruned, shaped, and sharpened me. He allowed me to be exposed to different personalities and challenges that stretched me. I couldn’t get away with anything while I watched other coworkers getting away with everything. This was the type of love from God that took me a minute to understand because all I could feel at that time was complete torture. Twenty-five years later, however, I realized this was pure love of God. The thing is, though my parents have always been around, I wasn’t raised by them. They were never there for me, which took me an eternity to realize. Nonetheless, God had to be very intentional about my growth. It was tough, but I am grateful to Him for seeing me through it all.
So, what can prevent us from honoring God in our leadership?
Many things can cause us to stray from our course in a leadership position. I have noticed that one of the things that many of us feel the need to do once we are in a position of authority is to prove ourselves to others. We want them to know that we are qualified for the seat, forgetting that it was God who qualifies us in the first place and not we ourselves. The truth is, if we feel we must prove ourselves or seek validation from others, then that’s an indication that we ourselves don’t believe what God has done in us. Also, other things that can get us off course are pride, lies that play on repeat in our heads, and our cultural background. All these things can negatively impact the way we lead.
You see, when you know who you are or what position you hold in the Kingdom of God, you don’t have to flex to prove who you are. I know this may sound weird, and it might be easier said than done, especially when dealing with people who try their best to bring you down. Call me a weirdo, but I love it when I deal with people who think just because I don’t look the part, play the part, sound the part, they can treat me like trash, and that’s when God always steps in and proves them wrong; He does it all the time. Please, notice I say God will step in and prove them wrong, and trust me when I tell you He can do it better than we can because He is a pro at it!
For example, I have seen employers who hired their own employees, yet they feel the pressure to prove themselves to them. They feel as if they must prove to their employees that they are the boss. Oftentimes, they do it through oppression or belittling their employees, which then reveals their weaknesses. The truth is, there is no need for that because the fact that they hired their employees proves that they are in a position of authority.
It takes a lot of self-control not to brag about yourself or to know something and act like you don’t know, especially when you are being insulted and provoked, or when you are among people who like to boast. It takes a lot of self-control to still respect those who disrespect you, especially when you are in a position of authority. It takes a lot of self-discipline to be kind to those who are unkind to you, and it takes a whole lot of self-control to love those who hate you. In other words, being in a position of authority demands that you develop a level of maturity to where you master the skill of not using your power when you could have used it. Someone might be saying, Why is that? In that case, it would be better not to become a leader at all.
That’s a great question, and the answer will lead us to our last point. And the answer is, as a leader, your response, your behavior, and your actions hold more weight. We must not forget that once we become a citizen of the Kingdom of God, it is not men who hold us accountable, but it is God. And He holds us accountable based on what we know, not what we don’t know, which means God expects us to do better when we have more knowledge. Moses is the perfect example in the Bible concerning this. He taught us about the danger that comes with being entrusted with a leadership role. Moses disobeyed God by striking the rock twice with his staff instead of speaking to it as he was commanded. Moses didn’t get in trouble with the people; they couldn’t care less. However, Moses got in trouble with God and couldn’t enter the promised land because of his disobedience. (Numbers 20:11).
Sometimes, just one strike with the staff in the wrong place and at the wrong time can cause a whole lot of trouble. One simple act out of anger or pride, etc., could set us back or even cause us to forfeit a promise. That’s why it is always better to sit with the possible consequences of an action or a decision. An action or a decision can be made quickly, but the consequences cannot be erased or avoided. Thus, we need to reflect on the possible consequences of our actions.
Being in a position of authority, especially in the Kingdom of God, is a privilege and an honor, and God is honored when we maintain the territory that was given to us and lead from a place of knowing who we are in God (self-identity) and self-control, not from our brokenness. This means that when we step into the position of authority, God is expecting us to represent Him and represent Him well by transforming an unrighteous environment to a righteous one, which will eventually produce kingdom citizens.
You are God’s representatives, so rise and shine well!
SCRIPTURES
“Righteousness and Justice are the foundation of Your throne; Love and Faithfulness go before you.” Psalm 89:14
“Let someone else praise you, and not your own mouth; an outsider and not your own lips.” Proverbs 27:2
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