Serving the People

 There is one leadership principle that is very Biblical, and I believe it with all my heart. We all need to know this principle, because we are all leaders in some way. If we do not learn it, we will have all types of problems that are unnecessary. King Rehoboam, Solomon's son, learned it the hard way. He broke this rule, because he did not listen to his father's advisors, but he asked the young men his age for advice. The young men told him to lord over the people and speak to them harshly, since they were questioning him. However, the older men knew better. (I Kings 12:7) They told Rehoboam that if he would be a servant to the people and serve them, and if he would respond to them with kind words, then, the people would serve him forever. What wisdom they spoke! We need to hear and heed this advice.

It is easy for a leader to be proud and full of himself or herself. It is easy to let their authority and importance go to their head. When that happens, the leader starts to be self-serving and uncaring about the people he or she leads. They order people around, and they do not show compassion for their needs. This type of leadership will lead to a fall. Instead, we need to be a "servant leader." This is how Jesus led. (Mark 10:45) We need to realize that God gave us this responsibility, so we can help the people we lead. We need to be their servant, and we need to act like a servant, not a ruler. We must speak kindly with them, even if they question our authority. When the people we lead see that this is the attitude of our heart, they will appreciate us so much, they will follow us gladly and do what they can to serve us and others. We need this type of leader in our country, our states, our churches, and in our families. Then, we would see God's will done well.

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Tomorrow, I intend to read I Kings 13-15.