Food 4 Thought: Leadership
Each month the Men's Department of Holiness Tabernacle Church Of God In Christ has been given a theme to meditate on and the Food 4 Thought section will focus on each monthly theme. We believe that our responsibility is to Provide, Protect, Prevent and Procreate and the Food 4 Thought section will consist of articles that will encourage you to think, encourage you to grow, encourage you to act and encourage each man to be productive members of the Church and society.
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Leadership
Joshua 24:15; Psalm 1
There is a shortage of Godly men willing to lead. The world has a vast number of men willing to compromise, willing to fail, and willing to mislead, but the world is in desperate need of men willing to lead by example, willing to be Godly leaders, and willing to lead by holiness. To lead or not to lead . . . sadly, that is the question swirling in the minds of men everywhere. As the number of fatherless homes increase; as the number of men in jail increase; and as the rate of black-on-black crime increase, it's imperative that we as Men of God take a leading role in our homes, churches, communities and workplaces to make a difference in these bleak times. A leader is a person who rules, guides or inspires others and leadership is the ability to lead or influence. Consider these troubling national statistics compiled at http://thefatherlessgeneration.wordpress.com/statistics/, it is obvious, we as men have fallen short:
- 63% of youth suicides are from fatherless homes (US Dept. Of Health/Census) – 5 times the average.
- 90% of all homeless and runaway children are from fatherless homes – 32 times the average.
- 85% of all children who show behavior disorders come from fatherless homes – 20 times the average. (Center for Disease Control)
- 80% of rapists with anger problems come from fatherless homes -14 times the average. (Justice & Behavior, Vol 14, p. 403-26)
- 71% of all high school dropouts come from fatherless homes – 9 times the average. (National Principals Association Report)
- 39% of 7,000 surveyed inmates come from fatherless homes – (2002 Department of Justice Survey)
The absence of strong men has had a profound effect on the youth of today, but as troubling as these statistics are, there is still hope. To be an effective leader, we must first understand that God created man to lead (Gen. 2:15, 3:16; 1 Timothy 3:15). Secondly, we must understand that without God leading us, we will fail (Proverbs 14:12; Proverbs 16:25; Psalm 37:23). Lastly, we must seek God for direction and wisdom to be an effective leader (Proverbs 3:5-6, 29:18; Psalm 1; James 1:5).
Many men of the Bible experienced failures while leading including Abram, Jacob, Moses, David and Peter, just to name a few, but their beginning was not their ending. Abram had problems with telling the truth, but Abraham became known as the father of many nations. Jacob was conniving and a trickster, but the Children of Israel are named after him. Moses was hesitant to go to Egypt because of his speech impediment, but he is known as one of the greatest prophets in the Bible. David slept with another man’s wife, ordered him to be murdered, then married his wife, but he’s known as a man after God’s own heart. Peter was a big mouth coward and bigot, but he preached a message where 3,000 souls were saved and folks were healed by his shadow. God can turn a zero into a hero!
If we were required to lead by our own might, we would most definitely fail. God has told us that He would never leave us or forsake us (Hebrews 13:5). That’s why He was able to encourage Joshua to be “strong and of a good courage (Joshua 1:6)” because He was going to uphold him “as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee: I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee (Joshua 1:5).” Joshua’s steps were ordered by God. Prior to each victory, Joshua sought God for his direction and true to His Word, God gave Joshua and the Children of Israel victory. No matter what anyone else did, Joshua was determined to follow God and lead with integrity and holiness as he proclaimed “as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord (Joshua 24:15b).”
You’re needed in your home. You’re needed on your job. You’re needed at church. You’re needed at school. You’re needed in your community. To lead or not lead . . . what is your answer?