What Kind of Leader Does God Choose?

What kind of leader does the God of Abraham choose?

Looking at the scriptures, here is what I see:

David of Bethlehem was His chosen leader.  He led a rebel army of down-and-outers.  He had a heart after God and yet his life consisted of lust, adultery, deceit and then authorizing murder to save his own reputation, just to name a few of his failures.  I see him as a man's man who was as red blooded as the next.  I think his life shows us that God chooses imperfect people to govern and sometimes they say and do things which are very un-god like.  YET, they are still His choice.

I see God appoints leaders:

"For there is no authority except from God...and those which exist have been put in place by God." ~Romans 13:1

Looking at our culture, here is what I see:

We cannot necessarily trust what we see and hear over the various broadcasting media networks.

At the risk of boring you, I will share a bit of my own story.  

I spent several presidential election processes pouring out my guts in prayer and listening to every media outlet I felt I could trust.  Eventually, I decided to steer away from the media outlets, even the ones claiming they upheld similar beliefs.   I saw they (the outlets) spent inordinate hours poking at the other side rather than reporting facts.  While I didn't follow through on my dream to become a journalist, I appreciate facts nonetheless.  Their diversion into name calling and belittling the other side seemed no less childish than what frustrated me by the other side.

I had stopped listening to main stream news media in the 80's, offended by the way they used their influence to attempt to affect my decision making.  To me they were NOT reporting news but offering slanted editorials which seemed heavily persuaded by something I could not name which seemed to lurk behind the scenes.   Now, I like a good commentary, but that is not the same as news reporting.    I remember peeking in many years later during a presidential debate where the commentators afterward said, in essence, "Now we will explain to you what was just said."  Baffled, I recoiled.  I had heard with my own very capable ears the words of the two men as they debated.  

Too, I possessed every ability to comprehend English (it is, after all, my first language).  Adding to those qualities,  I watched with keen attention to the men's body language and observed one who seemed to be working the crowd saying whatever he felt would be popular and avoided answering with bold and firm statements when issues which were generally contested came up.  I noticed the other presidential candidate answered based on his own convictions, which I respected.  I might not agree with everything he decided but I could plainly see he acted based on his own inner sense of right and wrong rather than looking outside of him to determine how he ought to answer.  As the debate ended, I had confidence in the latter as a person of principle, though I knew either candidate would be bound to fail.  I felt one was more trustworthy than the other based on character and doing what they believed was right rather than building approval, which in an of itself is dangerous and fickle.

I wondered why I would need a news reporter to "help" me comprehend what had been said.  I muted the television set and pondered who among my fellow American's would need to hand over their thinking ability to someone who worked for a t.v. station.   Dumbfounded, I concluded there was some sort of reason behind their offer to do my thinking for me and went back to my continued media fast being content to grab brief snippets on occasion and happily digging for facts and evidence myself.   I had long since decided what was news worthy to me was not to the media outlets and vice versa. 

I learned I needed to be in tune with God's word and His Holy Spirit.  Eventually, I learned about something which apparently works to hide some of what we need to know and expose what isn't important, focusing our attention away from the real issues.  Confronted with the reality of an enemy who, as Paul of Tarsus put it, isn't flesh and blood, I spent a long season working to understand and came out with an ability to sift through information to get to what was important to me as a bible believing follower of Jesus.
  
Ephesians 6:12 AMP "For our struggle is not against flesh and blood [contending only with physical opponents], but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this [present] darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly (supernatural) places."

Looking for people to speak honestly of the real struggles relating to this election, one man's recent speech cured me of the feeling of hopelessness I had felt and gave me the courage to begin digging into facts relating to the two contenders for President of the United States.  I have since dug well beyond what the media is putting out and have decided to vote based on my own research as wisdom has, I believe, led me.

My opinion?  For what it's worth I wrote this.  Simply put, I believe in government by the people and for the people but not OVER the people.  Period.  I think one candidate is in favor of this while another shows by their decisions, attitudes and life style that government OVER the people is their idea of a good thing.  I could not disagree more.    

To give three examples, I want to be free to grow and provide healthy, wholesome food for my children without massive regulation, to expand small businesses and develop entrepreneurial endeavors without massive regulation, and decide on what academics matter for each of my children's unique design while instructing them accordingly without massive regulation.   In my opinion, massive regulation infers I am not capable of making "good" decisions without being "overseen" by some entity who can best decide for me.  In my opinion, that is absolutely NOT American.  

To learn more about my thoughts on overreaching governance, you can read "We the Who?" where I go into more detail.

Does this mean I think the leader for whom I cast my vote will be perfect?  Um, nope.  Jesus of Nazareth isn't ruling from Jerusalem yet and until He is, all leadership will be imperfect.  

Do I think the leader for whom I vote will choose godly ways as they lead?  I do not know.  I do know this: if they choose biblical principles as they govern and surround themselves with people who know and apply those principles, we will better off than with a leader who does not.

Which leader will follow biblical principles?  I simply don't know.

To look at biblical leadership again, Saul of Tarsus oversaw the murdering of Christians while believing he was serving well the God of Abraham.  When Jesus revealed Himself to Saul, he was forever changed and altered the world as we know it.  See Acts 9.

For me the question remains a simple one: which person who is now running for President of the United States is the type of person I want leading?  When I look at the bible and then at what other wise men describe as qualities of a leader, I ask myself, "Which person can I trust to accomplish the goals which are important to me over the next four years?"  What qualities are important in a leader?  I appreciate Dr. Ben Carson's perspective.  He spells out five qualities of a good leader and because I think he HAS BEEN a good leader, I trust his facts based approach to opinion.  Because I think clear, biblical thinking is so vital to our decision making process today more than ever, I share his candid thoughts here.

To be truthful, I have specific goals I want to see accomplished over the next four years and I will make my choice for POTUS based on my own values, research and fact-finding.  I have long asked God for wisdom and understanding and know He gives the former liberally to all who ask.  I personally think wisdom is more important than anything as this election draws near.  I am glad to read, "If any of you lacks wisdom [to guide him through a decision or circumstance], he is to ask of [our benevolent] God, who gives to everyone generously and without rebuke or blame, and it will be given to him." James 1:5 
 

Finally, here is what I see:

I see is is God who puts leaders into place. 

Romans 13:1  "Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God [granted by His permission and sanction], and those which exist have been put in place by God."

I see He requires me to give thanks for the POTUS for the past 8 years.

1 Thessalonians 5:18  "..in every situation [no matter what the circumstances] be thankful and continually give thanks to God; for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus."

I see who He asks me to treat those who curse me: 

Luke 6:28  "..bless and show kindness to those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you."

From Paul, the ex-murderer, I read in Romans 12:14: "Bless those who persecute you [who cause you harm or hardship]; bless and do not curse [them]."

Matthew 5:44 says, “But I say to you, ^[a]love [that is, unselfishly seek the best or higher good for] your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, "

I see it is He who turns the hearts of leaders:

Proverbs 21:1 "The king’s heart is like channels of water in the hand of the Lord;He turns it whichever way He wishes."

I see boasting isn't terribly profitable unless it's boasting in the Lord:

"...but let the one who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows Me [and acknowledges Me and honors Me as God and recognizes without any doubt], that I am the Lord who practices lovingkindness, justice and righteousness on the earth, for in these things I delight,” says the Lord." Jeremiah 9:24

“Let him who boasts boast in the Lord.” 2 Corinthians 10:17

"...so then, as it is written [in Scripture], “He who boasts and glories, let him boast and glory in the Lord." 1 Corinthians 1:31

 
May we be blessed as we seek God alone for wisdom and as we seek to walk and live as He instructs. May we have eyes to see, ears to hear and a heart that understands what He is saying to us today and over the next days, weeks and months.  Matthew 13:15

Exuberant for God's life ~which abounds,
Kate

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