Renewal
We Need Leaders Who Lead Like Jesus
There is a real void of good leadership in our nation and world at this present time. In fact, I believe that the current leadership of the United States might be the worst in our history–with some of our key national leaders being either radical, egotistical, immoral, corrupt, deceptive, patronizing, not listening to their constituents–or in a phrase–devoid of godly character.
This is one reason why there is such fear, reaction, and distrust among the people as we enter the fall of 2009. We desperately need leaders with faith, wisdom, humility, skill, and insight to guide us through these perilous times.
There is no greater example in all the world of good and effective leadership than that of Jesus Christ. Twenty years I wrote a book on servant leadership, Leadership for the 21st Century: Changing Nations Through the Power of Serving, which concluded with a section by William MacDonald that described what made Jesus the greatest leader that ever walked the earth. It contains the most succinct principles of wise leadership I have ever heard or read.
I share them with you today to apply in your own life, to look and pray for in leaders that we need in America, and to point you to the Greatest Leader of all time who also invites you to follow Him.
Jesus – The Greatest Leader of Men
By William MacDonald
1. Jesus clearly envisioned the destination to which he was leading his people–the kingdom of God. The first principle of his leadership was that he knew precisely where he would lead the faithful and how to get there. Reversals and mid-course corrections were unnecessary under his leadership (Luke 9:51, 22:15,16).
2. Jesus led without forcing his values on anyone or coercing anyone into following. That is, he never drafted anyone in violation of individual autonomy. Much prayer preceded the call of those who would be his closest colleagues in ministry (Luke 6:12,13).
3. Jesus was not obsessed with gaining the psychological power of great numbers of warm bodies. Volunteers who would not pay the price of total commitment were turned away rather than being signed up on their own terms (Luke 9:57-62).
4. Jesus won the hearts of his followers by leading through friendship rather than fear. He shared with them his secrets and his strategy as rapidly as they could benefit from and implement them (Luke 18:26-30).
5. Jesus had no reason to hide his human finitude by impressive staging. Instead of barricading himself in inaccessibility (behind walls and many subordinates), he ate and slept with the troops, leaving them only for quiet times alone with his Father. Even little children had access to him (Luke 18:15-17).
6. Jesus was unafraid as all great leaders must be. The visible faces of clay could neither intimidate nor dissuade him from his objectives. Nor could the invisible powers of darkness deter him from accomplishing his mission (Luke 13:31-35).
7. Jesus never compromised his moral integrity in order to accomplish his objectives of his revolution. He operated above demeaning dirty tricks, back-door gifts, assassinations, rash unredeemable promises, or even flattery (Luke 11:52-54).
8. Jesus was patently selfless in his motives of leadership. He sought to bring believers to the depth of experience with his Father that he already enjoyed (Luke 10:22).
9. Instead of providing distracting entertainment for people to enable them to forget momentarily their confusion, guilt,suffering, loneliness, and unmet needs, Jesus provided solutions, corrections, and resources to meet those basic needs. The result for believers was lasting foundation for joy (Luke 4:40-44, 9:37-43).
10. Jesus did not squander nature and its resources; he took control as Adam was told to do, taking “dominion” without wasting or polluting, in order to utilize nature to bless and help humanity (Luke 9:17).
11. Jesus, a forceful public speaker, could hold the attention of large gatherings without taking advantage of people. His speech was spiced with colorful, unforgettable sayings and illustrations. When facing large crowds, he did not become superheated and tyrannical. There were no harangues, but always with them there was a deepening of his compassion. He gave clear and simple directions for finding one’s way into the kingdom of God (Luke 5:1, 8:4-15, 13:22-30).
12. Jesus was appropriately tough or tender in dealing with everyone and every crisis. He gained the respect and loyalty of men and women alike. His leadership style of personal relationships fit the situation with just the right amount of pressure being exerted in every case.
13. Jesus never “plead poverty” for the kingdom of God, “took” offerings by psychological jerks, or extracted monies legalistically from the reluctant. But likewise he never did refuse people the privilege of giving who offered their gifts prompted by love (Luke 8:1-3).
14. Jesus’ genuine wholesomeness was that of a man who was sure of himself. This made it possible for people to confidently put their faith in him and to gladly follow him. His winsomeness consisted of a perfect balance between self assurance and affability (Luke 6:20-49).
15. Jesus was the concrete expression of what he taught (Luke 6:20-49). If one could not clearly understand where he was leading by what he was saying, he could find the same truths expressed and reinforced in Jesus’ whole demeanor and activities. Those who were not abstract thinkers (four out of ten) could see the truth unfurled in his unforgettable actions and lifestyle (Luke 23:47).
16. Jesus was able to lead effectively and with full respect without the advantages of special identifying clothing and insignia that are universally recognized as symbols of authority. Royalty, the priesthood (Exodus 28:2), and the military must all step down to this leader dressed in ordinary clothes (and a special anointing) whose presence commanded respect wherever he was (Luke 4:18-22).
17. In decision-making, Jesus was neither indecisive nor rash. Prayerfulness was the fulcrum of his administration. Hence,the kingdom of God was never held back for want of resolute action, nor did it lurch forward on opportunistic whims and crash programs (Luke 6:12-16).
18. The power that Jesus tapped was not that whose source was in individuals; rather it was the power given him by God. This made it possible for him always to have something valuable to give freely to the people who followed him. Most worldly leaders aggrandize power by first taking it from people, abrogating some of their rights and confiscating certain of their resources; and later in a display of paternalism they return some of what was previously taken. Jesus did not need to do that for he depended heavily on divine resources to found the kingdom of God (Luke 3:22; cf. Acts 10:38).
19. Jesus was consistently resolute in that he followed through to the end with his goals for the kingdom. He would not surrender his aims for lesser ones when the going become difficult and his leadership was misunderstood. Thus he never backed off from the full-time responsibility of leadership (Luke 2:45-51).
20. Jesus knew well his followers and dealt with each one appropriately–not using the same patterns of assignment and expectation with such diverse men as Peter and John. He cultivated the development of the two talent man and one twice as talented by giving each the proper resources and relationship in which to develop (John 21:17-22).
21. Jesus knew how to pace both himself and the revolution, sensing when to advance and when to withdraw from the crowds of people, when to refuel, and when to face up to his most trying hours. In the words of the Old Testament, he knew when and how “to go in and out among the people,” and as a result his timing was never off (Luke 9:18-27, 19:28).
22. Jesus’ settled concept of his own identity and of the one who sent him made his leadership rise above popularity. Therefore, he was psychologically impervious to popular praise of himself–it did not inflate him–and to negative criticism of himself–it did not deflate him. Knowing at all times what the Father thought of him gave great evenness and steadiness to his leadership (Luke. 4:22,28,29 19:37-41).
23. Jesus had a uniquely positive revolutionary methodology (John 18:36):
- not arms, but faith, hope and love.
- not explosives, but mountain-moving faith.
- not sabotage of the enemy, but doing good to those hating you.
- not fear, but the love that crowds out all fear.
- not crowd-pleasing propaganda, but the truth.
- not firing squads, but raising the dead.
- not deceit and intrigue, but parables, proverbs and enigmas.
24. Jesus accomplished his revolution without dependence on the power structures of the world. He operated without any of the following standard foundations for kingdoms (Luke 29:1-8, 19-26):
- institutional backing
- political machines and party affiliation
- government support or anti-government patriotism
- class struggle exploitation–playing on desires for upward mobility.
25. Jesus met all of mankind’s deepest needs–those that only the Creator and Savior of man can supply. Consequently, he is the only leader of all time that when the deepest gratitude of followers wells up, and admiration calls for praise and exultation, it is not wrong to actually worship this leader as LORD AND GOD (Luke 24:52).
Prayer–America’s Hope
This article is being sent out early because today is the 58th Annual National Day of Prayer.
I ask you to make special prayer today for a nation-changing revival in the United States. We are in a very precarious state as a nation. Morally, we are floundering by turning away from God’s commandments and principles. Economically, we have debauched our currency, enslaved ourselves to debt and fiscal irresponsibility, and are heading quickly toward the misery of fascism/socialism. Militarily, we are beginning to disarm ourselves in a violent, unpredictable world, while accepting and rewarding those who desire to kill us. We are abandoning our friends and encouraging our enemies. There really is:
1. No political solution that can save us
2. No human being or political party that can deliver us.
3. No hope for the future without God’s intervention in our national life.
The wisest and most important thing we can do today is to humble our hearts, and seek the face of the God of the Universe for national repentance, healing, reconciliation, rebirth, and spiritual and moral renewal.
All across the United States families will be praying, churches will be gathering, and thousands of special events will be used to turn our attention toward God. I will be in Washington DC with our son Ryan for a prayer service in the Cannon Building in the morning, and a city-wide prayer gathering in the afternoon and evening on the west steps of the US Capitol Building.
If you can’t be here, you can be somewhere lifting up this nation in prayer. Please visit the National Day of Prayer website to encourage your heart and find out how you can participate. As you pray, remember Abraham Lincoln’s 1863 Proclamation of a National Day of Fasting & Prayer whose words are as true today as when they were spoken some one hundred and forty-six years ago:
“We have been the recipients of the choicest bounties of Heaven. We have been preserved, these many years, in peace and prosperity. We have grown in numbers, wealth, and power as no other nation has ever grown.”
“But we have forgotten God.”
“We have forgotten the gracious hand which preserved us in peace, and multiplied and enriched and strengthened us; and have vainly imagined, in the deceitfulness of our hearts, that all these blessings were produced by some superior wisdom and virtue of our own. Intoxicated with unbroken success, we have become too self-sufficient to feel the necessity of redeeming and preserving grace, too proud to pray to the God that made us! “
“It behooves us, then, to humble ourselves before the offended Power, to confess our national sins, and to pray for clemency and forgiveness.”
The Call 2 Fall
Another important day of prayer is being planned just sixty days from now on Sunday, July 5, 2009. Thousands of churches will be inviting their people to get down on their knees the day after Independence Day to affirm our dependence on Almighty God. It’s called the “Call 2 Fall.”
I am working with a group of national spiritual leaders on this second vital prayer thrust. Here’s the vision:
“The headlines of any given day reveal the depth and breadth of the cultural and political challenges facing America. The threats to our nation and the threats in our nation are real.”
“While Americans are dying on foreign fields of battle to defend the ideals of freedom, pastors are jailed here at home for exercising their freedom of speech in defense of the unborn. While the courts continue on the march to redefine marriage, the state of the American family appears to grow weaker under the cultural and social pressures. And whether responding to this evidence or simply seizing an opportunity, commentators have gleefully pronounced the “Decline and Fall of Christian America.”
“From a human perspective the future does not look promising. It is becoming evident that there are no political solutions to what our nation is facing today. But that could mean we are at the point of our greatest hope. If we as Christians will take responsibility for the state of the Church and the nation, and then follow God’s prescription for real change – there is hope.”
“The Family Research Council is joining with other Christian ministries in issuing a nationwide “Call to Fall” on our knees before the Lord on July 5th, 2009, urging a day of humility and repentance for America. We are asking pastors and churches to engage in a singular act of corporate humility, taking at a minimum 3 to 5 minutes during the Sunday morning worship for the entire congregation to fall to their knees, calling upon God to forgive our sins and heal our land (Joel 2).”
“The ‘Call to Fall’ is nothing new for America. When the First Continental Congress called for a day of public humiliation, fasting, and prayer, throughout the Colonies on July 20th, 1775, James Warren wrote Samuel Adams saying,
‘Three millions of people on their knees at once, supplicating the aid of Heaven, is a striking circumstance, and a very singular one in America. May the blessings of Heaven follow in answer to our prayers…’
“That is what we are praying for – a unified effort that crosses all denominational, cultural, and ethnic barriers among God’s people that will hopefully result in God’s hand of judgment being stayed and in His blessings being renewed on our lives and on our land.”
Please visit www.Call2Fall.com to sign the Declaration and to answer the “Call to Fall.” Here is the Declaration:
I will answer God’s call to fall on my knees in humility and seek His face in repentance, so that He might forgive my sins and heal our land.
Thanks for praying today, and for joining us on our knees Sunday, July 5.May God hear us from heaven and revive America for his glory (2 Chronicles 7:14).
The 15th of April – A New Independence Day?
The 4th of July.
We say it differently than other dates because it has a special meaning in America’s history.
The 15th of April.
Months or maybe years from now, will it be a national holiday that commemorates the re-birth of the United States in the 21st century?
April 15, 2009 will be long remembered by those those who attended the over 2,000 Tax Day Tea Parties that took place this week across the America nation. Rallies such as in New York and Atlanta, brought tens of thousands of concerned citizens. Hundreds of smaller rallies–we had forty in Washington State alone–were filled with colorful signs and patriotic chants by an energized electorate. Millions of people took a stand for real change in America.
I attended the largest rally in our state, on the steps of the capital in Olympia. The Seattle Times claimed there were five thousand people at the event, but it looked more like eight-to-ten thousand to me. On a beautifully sunny day, the gathering between the Capitol Dome and the Temple of Justice was packed with adults, youth, children, thousands of creative signs, and the thunderous praise and applause as a variety of speakers called on the various governments in our state to:
- Stop the unfettered growth of Big Government.
- End the wasteful spending spree of tax-payer money.
- Restore the God-given rights of the American people to life, liberty,and the pusuit of happiness.
- Return the nation to its God-blessed cultural moorings.
It was a day to shout, cry, send a message to law-makers, and receive great encouragement that a new American revolution has begun. As I stood among the excited throngs, something rose up within me that whispered, “This is a new day. What you’ve been praying for for many years is about to take place. Remember this moment. Seize the day. The tide has turned.”
My heart is deeply stirred with these thoughts and possibilities. For decades I’ve been concerned about America’s spiritual, moral, and more recently, economic tailspin. The past election only seemed to solidify the death grip of secular forces on American culture. Barack Obama has stated very openly that he doesn’t want America to be a “Christian nation,” and all of his policies so far have been as anti-Christ as anything this nation has ever known.
When a good friend of mine first heard Barack Obama speak at the 2004 Democratic Convention–his coming out speech as a national figure–my normally meek-mannered friend turned to me and said, “Ron. Could this man be the anti-Christ?”
I was shocked at the comment, and said I didn’t know.
I still don’t know, but I do know this: America has been under spiritual and moral attack for two generations, and the present administration is taking us further and further away from our godly and historical roots. The Bible says prphetically that “Righteousness exalts a nation. Sin is a disgrace to any people” (Proverbs 14:34). America became the most prosperous and generous nation in the history of the world because of the abundant application of biblical principles in our laws and Christian attitudes and actions in our people. As our government steers us away from biblical truth and our people forsake the ways of our Creator, some very dark clouds of judgment and chaos loom on the horizon.
In fact, the same afternoon of the Tax Day Tea Parties, the Washington State House of Representatives passed on a 62-35 vote the expansion of domestic partnership benefits to homosexual couples–effectively ratifying Homosexual Marriage in our state. Here’s how Faith & Freedom’s Gary Randall broke the sobering news:
“Washington State Legislature Approves Homosexual “Marriage” –without the name—for now. Washington State lawmakers passed SB 5688 yesterday afternoon, thus giving the homosexual activists what they want. Gov. Gregoire will sign it.
We will seek to overturn it by referendum. While the lawmakers were voting in favor of homosexual marriage in the Capitol, I and several other leaders in the faith community were meeting a few blocks away, finalizing details before filing a referendum to overturn this legislation. A more detailed press release will be forthcoming following the Governor’s signing of the bill into law.
The bill, the homosexual activists in the Legislature initially called “Every Thing But Marriage,” but dropped after we called them out on it, elevates homosexual relationships to that of traditional marriage, thus eliminating any legal difference between domestic partnerships and marriage. Their next step will be an easy one them. Litigate, correctly claiming there is no legal difference, then claim discrimination and it’s a done deal.
They will have successfully done an end-run on the State Supreme Court ruling which upheld DOMA and will have dismantled the Defense of Marriage Act. Except, we We can overturn this legislation with our referendum. Joshua once asked the people of God to, “Choose this day whom you will serve. As for me and my house,” he proclaimed, “We will serve the Lord.” This is that kind of moment. Do you believe in homosexual marriage?
If you do not, stand with us.”
I was one of those leaders behind closed doors, praying and planning a frontal assault on this sad and destructive legislation. After seeing thousands of people stand up at the Olympia Tea Party for God, faith, government accountability and responsibility, I, too, believe that the tide is turning–and that we can win the battle for marriage in the state of Washington.
But it will take all of us, moving forward with commitment, wisdom, compassion and prayer.
The 15th of April. Our new independence day.
Please join the army to push away the clouds of darkness and bring back the bright and glorious sun of personal salvation for many, and cultural renewal for all.