60 Seconds – Godly Leadership

A.W. Tozer stated, “The true church has never sounded out public expectations before launching her crusades. Her leaders heard from God and went ahead, wholly independent of popular support or lack of it. They knew the Lord’s will and did it, and their people followed them – sometimes to triumph, oftener to insults and public persecution – and their sufficient reward was the satisfaction of being right in a wrong world.”

In 1 Samuel 10:1, we read of Saul’s anointing by the prophet Samuel. “Then Samuel took a flask of oil, and poured it on his head.” Samuel anointed Saul with oil poured out of a vial. In his book “The Making Of A Leader,” Frank Damazio revealed, “All other kings were anointed by the oil poured forth from the horn of an animal – not a vial. The vial was a man-made bowl containing drinking water. The horn was taken from an animal that gave his life to produce it. Saul, a man-made ministry, was anointed with a man-made instrument, the vial. David, on the other hand, being God’s choice, was anointed with the divine oil poured forth from the horn of an animal. God’s leaders are anointed with a horn, and not a vial; by God’s Spirit and not by man’s.”

In Ephesus, Paul told God’s chosen ones, “The Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God, which He purchased with His own blood” (Acts 20:28). By calling them “overseers,” he was telling them that by virtue of maturity and spiritual experience, they were qualified to hold places of leadership. Leighton Ford said, “True leadership means to receive power from God, and to use it under God’s rule to serve people in God’s way.”

A man suddenly became wealthy. He had long noticed that the rich owned yachts, and that owing such a boat was badge of wealth. He went out and bought a luxury boat and a captain’s uniform for himself. He went to his parents home wearing the uniform. “Look at me now,” he said proudly. “I’m a captain, you know.” His mother did not look enthusiastic, though she did say, “Fine, fine.” “But Mom,” protested the son, “You don’t look proud at all. Why?” “Listen, my son,” said the mother, “to Papa you are a captain, to me you’re a captain…But I ask you, to captains are you a captain?”

“A leader is a person with a magnet in his heart and a compass in his head” (Vance Havner).