Trusting God in a Broken World

Leadership Matters

The Impact of Leadership

Proverbs 29:2 “When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice: But when the wicked beareth rule, the people mourn.”

Leadership can lighten the burden of those under them. When leadership is wicked the people’s lives can be strained and made harder. Righteous leadership can have an overwhelming positive impact.

The Character of Leadership

Proverbs 29:4 “The king by judgment establisheth the land: But he that receiveth gifts overthroweth it.”

When a king rules a nation with justice, fairness, and righteousness the kingdom flourishes. The character of leadership affects those under them. We should seek to be the kind of leaders in our homes that allows peace, contentment, and joy to flourish.

Corrupt leaders negatively affect those under them. Taking bribes was a common form of corruption in the days of kings and led to mistrust among the “commoners”. Negative character can also lead to mistrust within our homes and churches. While none of us can measure up to Jesus Christ we must strive to better our character according to Scripture as we lead others.

The Pattern of Leadership

Proverbs 29:26 “Many seek the ruler’s favour; But every man’s judgment cometh from the Lord.”

Pure Justice comes directly from God. The greatest rejoicing of the people will come from the time that Jesus Christ takes his place as the Supreme Ruler of the World. While leadership (no matter how great) can never measure up to Jesus, a leader can improve his character and have a greater impact upon the Lord by living according to godly principles. We cannot be perfect, but we can be better when Christ is the pattern we strive for.

Foolish Responses

Talking about Everything to Everyone

Proverbs 29:11 “A fool uttereth all his mind: But a wise man keepeth it in till afterwards.”

Some people get offended and tell everyone about it. They have no self-control, little discretion, and whoever will listen to them gossip, complain, and murmur is their target audience. Confrontation in private to bring about reconciliation is not their cup of tea. Instead they tell everyone that will hear them, post on social media regularly, spread it all over the community and slander those that offended them without any thought for what it may do to their life or to the name of Jesus.

Lacking Leadership at Home

Proverbs 29:15 “The rod and reproof give wisdom: But a child left to himself bringeth his mother to shame.”

Some people think that my Dad was too strict. Some people think I am too strict as a Dad. It seems that there are people who think unless you give in to your children you are harsh and unloving. The Bible repeatedly disagrees with this logic. “Everyone is doing it” was a reason not to do it in my Dad’s mind and I have adopted that philosophy.

We are living in a world that now has a couple generations that were raised by parents who did whatever they had to in order for their child not to cry, so that they will be happy, and hoping one day by giving them the world they would be grateful. However, the opposite is true. The more you give someone, the more they want and the less thankful they get for what they receive.

We have a lack of respect in our world today. There is little honor for parents. There is a lagging respect for teachers, employers, and police There is little respect for pastors in churches, for leaders in communities, and for people in authority.

If we want some rest in our world then the task starts at home.

Proverbs 29:17 “Correct thy son, and he shall give thee rest; Yea, he shall give delight unto thy soul.”

It is time that the leadership at home began to say “No” more often and refuse to allow disrespect and dishonor in our children. Beyond our children respect is something that we all need to have more of toward each other.

Trusting God

Proverbs 29:25 “The fear of man bringeth a snare: But whoso putteth his trust in the Lord shall be safe.”

For all the things we have discussed so far there is a growing number of people that have a hard time trusting people. BIG SURPRISE! People gossip and slander, break promises, look down on people, mistreat people, tell lies about people, and run people down on social media and then we wonder why our world is so full of mistrust.

The problem many of us face with trust is not how bad humans mess up. I know that is the reason why people say they don’t trust people, but the truth is that trusting others is not possible until we learn to trust God unconditionally. God is not the problem. He never has been. The problem has always been people; sometimes the problem is us and sometimes the problem is others. However, the main problem for mistrust in our lives is the fact that we have failed to trust in the Lord.

When we trust God we can be safe. He will protect us. He will care for us. Now, that does not mean that we will not be hurt by people. We will, but we can keep the bitterness away from our lives. The hurt that we feel can produce bitterness. But when we trust in God we can put our hurt in his hands and he can keep us safe from bitterness; the bitterness that destroys our trust in others.

Fearing man is not in our best interest. Trusting God is the best things we can do for our lives. Leadership matters, but our trust in God matters more than those who lead us. Foolish responses are born out of a lack of trust in God. Whenever you look back into your life you can trace all of your mistakes, your bitterness, and your anger toward people to a lack of trust in God and his word.

Conclusion

Let’s take a look at our own leadership; make sure that we are kind, that we are fair, and that improve it with the Word of God and its principles. Let’s examine our responses to problems, to hurts, and and to hard times. Let’s examine our trust in the Lord and ensure that no matter what is happening in our lives that we trust him unconditionally.