Lead Like Christ
“When the kingdom of Rehoboam was established and strong, he and all Israel with him forsook the law of the LORD.”
Do you ever take the time to stop and think about the impact you have on other people? Each one of us has different personalities, strengths, weaknesses, and God-given gifts. Some are leaders, whether at work, in sports, at events, in organizations, or even at home. There are some of us who like to go with the flow and maybe fly under the radar and may not see ourselves as leaders. However you see yourself, ALL Christians are leaders in some way, shape or form, and leadership has consequences. Everything we as believers do when we are around others, whether we realize it or not, sets an example for others, either good or bad. We may not always recognize this and can easily become complacent to the fact that others are always watching. Others pay attention to what we say, how we act, how we treat others, what we accomplish, and maybe most importantly, how we live out our faith.
Without even giving context to the passage preceding the verse in 2 Chronicles 12:1, the reader can easily pinpoint the heart of the issue, and the issue produced dire results. King Rehoboam sought after his own way, and as he grew in strength and power, he became more dependent on himself and less dependent on God, thus arrogantly forsaking the law of the Lord. As a result of his arrogant and selfish leadership, the entire nation of Israel sought their own way and forsook the law of the Lord.
When I was in the military, we used to say, “attitude is a reflection of leadership.” As seen in many of the Old Testament narratives, the attitude of God’s people was commonly the direct reflection of their leadership. The people of God would repeatedly abandon God’s commandments as the result of their having followed the example and guidance of their leadership. On the flip side, we see that when God’s people had good leaders, the nation, for the most part, would reflect the attitudes and guidance of that leader.
“Then the king stood in his place and made a covenant before the LORD to walk after the LORD, and to keep His commandments and His testimonies and His statutes with all his heart and with all his soul, to perform the words of the covenant written in this book. [32] Moreover, he made all who were present in Jerusalem and Benjamin to stand with him. So the inhabitants of Jerusalem did according to the covenant of God, the God of their fathers. [33] Josiah removed all the abominations from all the lands belonging to the sons of Israel, and made all who were present in Israel to serve the LORD their God. Throughout his lifetime they did not turn from following the LORD God of their fathers.”
In the New Testament, we see Christ arrive on the scene and radically change the lives of a group of misfits as the direct result of His perfect leadership and His perfect character. He set a perfect example for them. Not a worldly example, a godly example. They watched and listened to everything He said and did; they were sometimes curious, sometimes doubtful, sometimes fearful, and most often in awe and wonder. Christ befriended them, cared about them, taught them, got to know them, and most importantly, trained them to carry on His legacy in the world long after His resurrection. Through these interactions, those disciples, now radically changed by their encounter with Jesus, were transformed by the power of God’s Spirit to lead others toward “full life development in Jesus Christ.”
Some 2000 years later, we here at the Bridge have the unique and weighty, yet joyous responsibility of also carrying on the legacy of Christ. No matter who we are, where we work, what we do, or how important or obscure we think we are, we each have a duty, a responsibility to lead like Jesus according to His Word.
Looking at the examples in scripture, we are reminded that those whom we have an opportunity to lead spiritually are more likely to follow in the footsteps of our leadership. Leading others well is critical because we, by our attitudes, actions, speech, and beliefs, can either lead others around us in the right way or we can lead them astray. As Christians, we are called to lead and must be very careful that we are walking fully in the ways of the Lord, according to scripture, so that we can lead others well in what is right and true.
Regardless of where we are in life, we each have a role in performing godly, Christ-like leadership. As parents, as spouses, as friends, as bosses, as coworkers, as volunteers, as customers, in every interaction, whether common or fleeting. We never know when maybe even the shortest interaction with another person, having presented even the slightest glimpse of Christ in our character, may become the instrumental encounter that brings another person into the saving grace and knowledge of Christ.
So, as we go about our day, every day, may we be ever mindful of representing the excellencies of Christ in every way. Our godly reflection just may be the most effective means for leading others to Jesus, even when we don’t realize we are leading at all.
Prayer
Lord we thank you for your Word and the truth and wisdom that it provides to us by the illumination of Your Spirit. We praise you for the perfect example of leadership we have in Christ. May we invest in a steady and healthy diet of your Word, and by the continued work of Your Spirit in us, we may be regularly transformed into the very likeness of Christ. Empowered to effectively lead like Christ, having the very reflection of His character, so we may joyously take part in leading others into the saving Grace you so freely and lovingly offer.
