A WORD TO THE WISE: Proverbs 29: 2. "Good & Good At"

Proverbs 29: 2     When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; but when a wicked man rules, the people groan.

Proverbs 29: 2.  Choosing a good leader means more than choosing someone who’s good at the tasks of leadership.  Choosing a good leader means choosing someone who is also good.

Popularity, administrative expertise, and charisma are important qualities for leaders.  Leaders have to be able to gather followers, get things done, and inspire groups.  That’s necessary, but  it’s not enough.  History is full of examples of people who were good at leading, but were not good people (Hitler, Herod, Ghengis Khan, Charles Manson, Bernie Madoff, Lucifer).

Elevating such people to high authority always seems like a good idea at the time.

Jeremiah 5: 31     The prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests rule by their own power; and My people love to have it so.   But what will you do in the end?

But in the end, the people themselves will cry and mourn under the weight of corruption and oppression.  The sinfulness of leaders will be felt in the pain of their followers.

We then must choose leaders who are good at and also good.

Good leaders speak the truth in love.  They care more for the people and the mission than they do for traditional lines of division.  Good leaders are humble because they see their role as that of chief servant rather than as chief beneficiary.  Good leaders understand their place as stewards of a Divine appointment for which they must answer to God Himself.

But, it is not always easy to follow a good leader. 

Good leaders sometimes offend us by their unwillingness to tell us what we want to hear.  Good leaders promote the long term over the immediate.  They call for sacrifice where the people have become selfish.  And they lead by their example of personal sacrifice.  (Be wary of leaders who draw from everyone’s wallet but their own.)   

In the end, people under the authority of one who is both good and good at leading will rejoice because when the favor and grace of God rests on the leader, that favor and grace touches those he/she leads.

Acts 6:3 Therefore, brethren, seek out from among you seven men of good reputation, full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business

---Anderson T. Graves II

Rev. Anderson T. Graves II is the pastor of Hall Memorial CME Church

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