How God Develops Leaders

  • Derek Staples
  • | Jul 27, 2009
  • | Series: Monday Morning Manna

MONDAY MORNING MANNA
“HOW GOD DEVELOPS LEADER’S”

“Do not look at his appearance or at the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for God sees not as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”  (I Samuel 16: 7)

“For the eyes of the Lord move to and fro throughout the earth that He may strongly support those whose heart is completely His.”  (2 Chronicles 16:9)

“The greatness of an organization will be directly proportional to the greatness of its leader.  Organizations do not rise above their leadership, so the best thing leaders can do for their organization is to grow personally.”  But, how do people become leaders?  That’s the question Blackaby addresses in his book on Spiritual Leadership.”   

While he describes how some great leaders possess innate qualities, and some at a very early age, he comments that “ultimately, leadership is more about being than about doing.”  In fact, most people can display certain leadership qualities for life if they are willing to grow as people and to develop certain leadership skills.

Henry Blackaby talks about the effects of “life experiences” and how those experiences shape the kind of leaders they become.  Our home life growing up, as well as our birth order, can shape our leadership abilities.  He says, “So many of history’s great leaders suffered major failures, crises, and disappointments in their development as leaders that these traumas almost seem prerequisite to leadership success.”

Nevertheless, God can use adversity to build certain qualities deep within one’s character that could not be fully developed in any other way.  I enjoyed being reminded that, when it comes to leadership no experience, good or bad, is ever wasted.  For true leaders, failures and personal struggles will not destroy our character; they will aide in the development of our character.

People may apply for various leadership positions, but God is the one who ultimately determines which leadership roles they will have.  Blackaby outlines “God’s Work in Leaders’ Lives:

God gives His Holy Spirit

God sets the leader’s Agenda

God gives the Assignment

He then surveys the life of Abraham to show how God chooses ordinary and then turns them into spiritual giants.  God took a man reared in a moon-worshipping community and called him out of his home in Ur to a new land as a patriarchal leader.  Could Abraham set aside his agenda in order to pursue God’s agenda?  And isn’t that the same thing God asks of us today?  In Genesis 12, we have recorded the call of Abraham, and in verse 4 it reads: So Abraham went forth…”  No mention of dialogue or debate.  Simply put, Abraham went!  That is the issue for us as well. 

God then began the process of shaping Abraham’s character into one of “trust in God, obedience to Him, and love for Him.  Although God often used people who appeared to be the least likely candidates for true leadership, the common denominator was that these people were all upright in character and walked closely with God.”  Abraham grew through life’s experiences into the spiritual giant who displayed his character as one of intense faithfulness in God.  His willingness to offer Isaac in Genesis 22 is a reminder that “God will provide” when we display unwavering faith.  Abraham teaches that obedience is the key that opens the door to great spiritual leadership.    

Blackaby concludes this chapter by reminding us that “God appoints leaders.”  And God’s assignments are always based on character – the greater the character, the greater the assignment.  He states: “Those willing to submit themselves to the leadership development track of the Lord have the potential of growing into the leaders God wants them to become.”

“He who is faithful in a very little thing is faithful also in much; and he who is unrighteous in a very little thing is unrighteous also in much.”  

(Luke 16:10)

Until Next Week,

Dr. Derek