A Theology Of Leadership

By Daniel H. Smith [1]

“If you want to know whether you are a leader or not, just turn around to see if anyone is following you.” Many have summarized their thinking about leadership with this old adage. You either are a leader, or you are not. It’s just that simple.

In recent years, however, a great amount of thought, energy, and research has been focused on the vital issue of leadership. There are a number of theories and much has been written. In spite of this, true leadership seems to be increasingly difficult in our western world. Individuals such as Warren Bennis and George Roche who have unusual insight into our cultural trends have explored this subject in works such as “Why Leaders Can’t Lead: The Modern Tragedy” [2] and “A World Without Heroes.” [3] The radical individualism that prevails in the western world brings unique dynamics into relationships, and leadership is continually challenged. The path of leadership has never been the easy alternative in life. It appears that even with research and expertise focused upon this crucial subject, there is still a lack of leadership in various areas of life.

Bible-believing Christians are influenced by the proliferation of theories of leadership and by varying styles of leadership. We tend to carry into the church and into Christian ministries those theories and styles that appeal to us.

Should a Christian seek to be a leader? Some would press passages such as our Lord’s warning about calling a person father (Matt. 23:9) into interpretive patterns that question any functioning leadership. A reluctance or refusal to take a title of leadership such as elder is considered the spiritual ideal by some.

Does the Bible speak positively about leadership? Is leadership appropriate or necessary in Christian ministries and relationships? Are the qualities and functions of leadership in harmony with the character of God? To answer these questions it will be necessary to search the Scriptures for those qualities in God which can be identified with leadership. If we find such, then we must also determine whether these are God-like qualities that He intends to communicate or share with His people.

God Plans

“Plan your work, then work your plan.” I recall hearing this saying from my father on numerous occasions. As I grew up and thought about this, I came to the point of questioning him about this statement. My father wisely informed me that it is important for Christian people to plan their work and then work their plan because that is precisely what God does. It is not difficult to see this fact clearly stated in the Scriptures.

Passages like Acts 2:23 and 4:28 make us aware of the fact that God has a plan. That plan included the coming of Christ into this world as well as His sacrificial death at Calvary. Christ was delivered up by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God (Acts 2:23). Herod, Pilate, the Gentiles, and the people of Israel did to Jesus “whatever Thy hand and Thy purpose predestined to occur” (Acts 4:28). Theologians immediately think of the decree of God and find great challenge in pondering this vast biblical subject. Others seem to be repelled by the magnitude of the decree. Yet the Scriptures repeatedly remind us that God has a plan from eternity.

Ephesians 1:11 gives us something of the breadth of perspective we need as we consider the fact that God has a plan. “We have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to His purpose who works all things after the counsel of His will.” This passage not only helps us to see the vast scope or inclusiveness of the plan of God, but it also teaches us that God is actively working out the various dimensions of His plan.

But does God expect His people to plan? After all, we are not omniscient as He is, and we do not know or control the future. There are a number of Scriptures in which God actually leads His people in the process of planning. This would include the events of the early chapters of Exodus where God directed Moses in a plan to return to Egypt, confront Pharaoh, and lead the Hebrew people out of bondage. Joshua 6 reveals to us the divine initiative in the plan to conquer the city of Jericho. The Pauline epistles are filled with evidence of apostolic planning. In Romans 15:22–33 Paul said, “For this reason I have often been hindered from coming to you. But now with no further place for me in these regions, and since I have had for many years a longing to come to you whenever I go to Spain....”

In the light of this it seems almost unthinkable that Christians would ever consider that the ideal or “spiritual” attitude is opposed to planning. Perhaps they confuse planning with presumption, and who can deny that presumption is sin? We find, however, that there is a distinction as James points out in James 4:13–16.

Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we shall go to such and such a city and spend a year there and engage in business and make a profit.” Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away. Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we shall live and also do this or that.” But as it is, you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil.

The problem that James addresses is not that of planning but rather planning without first submitting our hearts and lives to the will and purposes of God. Biblical planning is carried out in submission to the authority of the Word of God and in dependence upon the provision of wisdom from God.

Godliness involves planning. Not planning apart from the higher plan of God but rather in submission to it (Prov. 16:9).

God Communicates His Plan

Have you ever wondered what life on earth would be like if God had never spoken to us or revealed Himself or His plan? Even if God had a great plan for the ages and was faithfully working it out in human history, we would be at a terrible loss if He had not revealed Himself to us. The writer of Hebrews (1:1, 2) reminds us that God has spoken in many different ways and at many times in history. We are well aware that prophetic Scriptures really are history pre-written! In building the tabernacle in the wilderness and constructing the various articles of furniture there were explicit instructions that all must be done according to God’s plan (Exodus 25:8, 9, 40). The beauty and function of that earthly sanctuary were a direct reflection of the fact that God’s plan had been accurately conveyed to human beings who carried it out with their God-given skills and artistry.

To be sure there are things that God has not revealed. Deuteronomy 29:29 reminds us of this truth. “The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our sons forever, that we may observe all the words of this law.” God reserves the prerogative to keep some secrets. The humanist may object to this, but sovereignty overrules objections.

The important thing in Deuteronomy is that God has revealed much of Himself and His plan to us, and our minds should be occupied with His revelation in order that we might know and obey His Word. The process of planning and the revelation of that plan are reflected in the conduct of Nehemiah (2:11–18). God had put it in his heart to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem. Yet there were many opponents and adversaries around. He viewed the ruins at night with just a few faithful associates, being careful not to let others know of his planning process. However, when the time came, he told the Jews of the plan and enlisted their help. We can be quite sure that if the plan had only remained in Nehemiah’s heart, the walls of Jerusalem would never have been rebuilt.

Christian leadership sometimes fails at this point. Many confess that they have spent long hours at elders’ meetings discussing issues and problems and seeking to come to an agreement as to what should be done. But if there is no further action, very little will happen in the life of the assembly. Communicating the plans to the right people at the right time and in the right way is the godly thing to do.

God Utilizes The Energy And Service Of Others

We often hear the inability to delegate presented as one of the weaknesses of parenting. It is too easy to rob our children of important ingredients in growing up because we find it easier to do something ourselves rather than teach them how to do a task and rather than endure the immaturity and less-than-perfect results. We dearly love the questionable old adage, “if you want a job well done, you must do it yourself.” In our sober moments we should be very glad that our God is not limited by such a perspective.

One of the outstanding biblical demonstrations of the fact that God utilizes the energy and service of others is seen in the Great Commission (Matt. 28:18–20). This is spelled out further in passages such as Acts 1:8 and 2 Corinthians 5:20. Believers are commissioned to function as witnesses and ambassadors for Christ and to speak for Him. We remember the cry of Jehovah, heard by the prophet Isaiah in His vision (6:8), “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” The pattern is clear all through the history of God’s dealings with mankind. God delights to use human instruments.

We may reason against this by focusing on the ultimate fact that God does not really need us. This may be true, but the fact still remains that God delights to involve others in serving Him. Those who have known the joy of His service can join with the Psalmist (100:2) who exhorts us to “serve the Lord with gladness...”

One of the important features about the ministry of the apostle Paul was that he involved others. He characteristically worked with a team. Even after the basic teamwork was accomplished in the establishing of local churches, we still find him directing others in the service of Christ (Tit. 1:5).

Christians who desire to exercise godliness in leadership will spend a great deal of their time enlisting others in the service of Christ. They will look for faithful individuals (II Tim. 2:2) who can be entrusted with teaching and responsibilities.

For many years I have pitied individuals who play on a team with a “glory hog”, someone who wants to score all the goals or make all the important moves. In contrast to this the ideal young people’s leader has been described as a person who functions very much like a coach. The coach does not actually play the game, but commits skill and energy to the task of getting others involved. Godliness involves utilizing the energy and service of others.

God Guides And Directs

This obvious characteristic of our God is closely related to the one we have just considered. Delegation involves far more than just enlisting volunteers. In Isaiah 6 when Jehovah sought someone whom He could send to speak to a nation in deep spiritual need, Isaiah volunteered with those beautiful words, “Here am I! Send me.” God then continued His divine initiative in leadership by instructing Isaiah where to go, what to say, and what to expect in the process. We may also recall the great detail in which the Lord conveyed His guidance and direction to Joshua (1:1–9) as He placed him in a position of leadership over the nation of Israel.

Many fail at this very point in their attempts at leadership. If we only designate a task to be done and fail to give training, preparation, instruction, and direction for the task, we may generate more negative results than positive! Why do many of the Lord’s people seem to delight in inept, slipshod, and mediocre service for Christ? Training is important in the program of God, and we see in Scripture God’s key useful instruments undergoing careful training. This includes individuals like Moses and Joshua, as well as Timothy and Titus. Those who think that God has no standards and cares nothing about excellence in His service are greatly mistaken. Consider Paul’s instructions to Timothy in 2 Timothy 2:2. Timothy is challenged to find faithful men and commit biblical truth to them so that they will “be able to teach others also.” The expression here literally means “to measure up to or to qualify” to teach others also. There is no biblical premium on mediocrity in the service of Christ.

While it is true that God delights to use young or inexperienced individuals (1 Tim. 4:12), we also must recognize that He has clearly established the function of discipleship to secure the growth, guidance, and direction of individuals. Our Lord discipled others and so did Paul. The Great Commission challenges us to make disciples. Young believers should be continually learning. We leave it to a lost and confused world to follow the “do your own thing” philosophy. Godly leadership involves guiding and directing others.

God Evaluates—Holds Accountable

God not only instructs and trains us, but He holds us accountable. The bottom line is the statement of Scripture that “each of us shall give an account of himself to God” (Rom. 14:12). Not only does each believer live with the anticipation of that day when he will appear before the judgment seat of Christ (2 Cor. 5:10), but even the lost of this world, whether they know it or not, will stand before Christ in personal accountability (Rev. 20:12–15).

In case one thinks that the matter of accountability is not significant, it would be well to study the Gospels and find how frequently the idea of giving account appears in the ministry of our Lord Jesus (cf. Matt. 5:12, 19, 20, 22–26, 29, 30 etc.) In His own teaching of His disciples our Lord held them accountable (Matt. 14:31; 16:9–11; Mark 9:19, 28, 29).

This discussion is not intended to put the stamp of approval on any given concept of accountability in current human theories of leadership. There may be little or no mercy, grace, or love in these. But we do recall that our Lord Jesus was not reluctant to chide His disciples (Matt. 16:8–12) when their conduct did not measure up to His expectations. Also we see Him bringing them back to Himself for a “report session” after He had sent them out to minister (Mark 6:7–12; Luke 9:10).

There are certain dimensions of leadership where default in this matter becomes extremely critical. This can be illustrated with parents and their children. Parents are to “bring up” and “train up” their children, not keep them dependent and infantile. Children in the process of maturity must be given more and more opportunities to make decisions and express creativity. But if we fail to keep accountability abreast with privilege and responsibility, we may end up with utter tragedy in our homes. This seems to be the key to the alarming problems that developed in the household of King David (I Kings 1:6).

Godly leadership involves evaluating and holding accountable. It means checking up on people to whom responsibilities and assignments have been given. Check points must be built into plans.

At this point we must be careful to make a necessary distinction. The Scriptures speak of the ministry of rebuke and exhortation (2 Tim. 4:2) which individuals in leadership situations will fulfill as they evaluate and hold accountable. However, this must not be confused with haughty, disdainful impatience with the imperfections of others. Wrong attitudes are destructive and can be conveyed in both how we say something as well as when and what we say. We note the emphasis in our Lord’s teaching that our speech is to always be with grace seasoned with salt. He did not say with salt seasoned with grace!

God Rewards And Punishes

In an expression of His righteousness the living God will faithfully reward all that is done for His glory (Heb. 6:10). Not only does He bless or rebuke in this life, but He will faithfully judge in the resurrection (John 5:28, 29). It is Jesus Christ who holds the ultimate authority for judgment (John 5:27).

Yet the Scriptures are very careful to avoid creating an atmosphere of gloom and doom for the people of God. The prospect of foolishly living so as to incur the displeasure of our Lord is not positive (1 Cor. 11:27–32). But we are continually encouraged to look at the positive purposes of our Lord even in His rebuke and chastening (Rev. 3:19). The ministry of restoration among the people of God is always an important one (Gal. 6:1), and the Lord has always made His people aware that He is a pardoning God (Isa. 55:7).

It is with this spirit that the one who exercises biblical leadership will reward and rebuke. Reward must be appropriate and fair, and not an expression of bribery (Prov. 17:23). Our Lord could both commend and rebuke (Matt. 16:17, 23), and the wise Christian leader will strive to do likewise. Even public commendation can be appropriate (Phil. 2:19–24) and may encourage individuals on to greater maturity and usefulness.

The person is fortunate who has experienced the necessary correction or rebuke and has learned to respond appropriately (Prov. 9:8; 13:1). He is also fortunate who has experienced the motivating encouragement of reward and commendation (Prov. 15:23; 25:11). One wonders how many sins of omission have been committed by allowing faithful Sunday School teachers to struggle on for years without so much as a word of appreciation. This is not to encourage flattery or lavish praise that may rob our Lord of His glory in service rendered to Him. But Godly leadership will express both commendation as well as reproof.

It is not incidental that we have moved toward a number of references in the book of Proverbs in this study. It is the conviction of this writer that one of the best things that a Christian who desires to exercise godly leadership can do to maintain biblical qualities of leadership is to read the Proverbs continually and regularly. Virtually every issue of leadership and all of the sensitive ingredients of the dynamics of interpersonal relationships are included in this significant Old Testament book. In the precepts of Proverbs we see a reflection of the heart of God.

Conclusion

Even a brief study of Scripture will lead one to the conclusion that God is a God of initiative in leadership. He displays in His own character and behavior all of the fundamental qualities of leadership. It is also apparent that His gracious purpose is to communicate these qualities to His people and motivate them to be like He is. A full expression of godliness involves a demonstration of godly qualities of leadership.

Leadership styles and theories may vary, some working in one situation and not in another. But godly leadership that reflects the qualities of leadership seen in our God is always effective and appropriate, and will bring His blessing and rewards.

Notes

1. Dan Smith is President of Emmaus Bible College.
2. Warren Bennis, Why Leaders Can't Lead (San Fransisco: Jossey-Bass Publishers, 1989).
3. George Roche, A World Without Heroes: The Modern Tragedy (Hillsdale, Mich: Hillsdale College Press, 1987).