Today’s Reading, Deuteronomy 1-2
Focal Scripture: Deuteronomy 1:13 “Appoint for yourselves wise, understanding, and respected men from each of your tribes, and I will make them your leaders.”
We don’t really have a leadership problem in our country and churches. We have a leader selection problem. Leaders should have high standards placed on them. It should be difficult to be chosen as a leader and put into that important position. However, people select leaders now based on human skill and not character. Based on preference and not qualities that last.
In today’s reading Moses tells the people that they need to pick leaders who are wise, understanding and respected men. Notice it was not based on skill. It was based on character. Reputation also matters because, reputation proceeds a leader. God wanted character over personality. Heart over ability.
My challenge today is for the people who pick leaders. It is time to pick leaders who have character and reputation over skill. This especially applies to the church setting. Pastors are expected to be men of character and reputation. Unfortunately, most pastors are chosen off a resume that is inadequate. To make matters worse some churches keep bad leaders because they don’t want to admit a mistake in their choice.
This is a personal topic for me concerning the church. Some pastors have no business being in the position they are in because they have no character. In our culture we need church leaders who do not tolerate people in leadership positions with poor character. No pastor should be a gossip, belittle others, speak hateful, and leads with malice. It belittles the church and the calling of leadership.
I hope you have high standards for your leaders at church. Not perfect leaders but ones with high character. Leaders who are wise, understanding, and respected. We can’t say we have a leadership problem when we allow bad leadership to flourish.
Tomorrow, I plan on reading Deuteronomy 3-4
