The Greatest Challenge in Leadership

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 He may look content here, but don't be fooled - it's a waxwork!  Whatever we may think of the lifestyle or the leadership of the UK Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, or the way he has been made to step down, none of us can have missed the race to become the next leader of the Conservative party, and the new PM. The news media are in a feeding frenzy, poring over each candidate and their credentials. Social media is abuzz with speculation and options, and the only thing that seems certain is that the British people will have a new leader soon, probably by September.

In all this, Christians should remember the wise advice of St Paul who urged his followers to pray for ‘kings and all those in authority that we may live peaceful and quiet lives’. He did so in a day when the government was in the hands of cruel emperors and their delegates, who were overwhelmingly godless and immoral, violent, exploitative, and abusive. Yet, Paul is so convinced of the power of prayer that he urges his readers, and us, to make praying for secular leaders a priority. As the incoming British Prime Minister faces problems like the soaring cost of living, cataclysmic climate change, war in Europe and its subsequent food shortages, not to mention the ongoing pandemic, he or she will need our prayers more than ever.

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But leadership is so much more than dealing with issues, urgent and important though they may be. Leading ourselves can also be a great challenge. Just getting through each day without giving in to fear, despair, and hopelessness can be a huge task. Coping with change in society, church and family life can leave us feeling all at sea. Choices and personal morality may seem so much more demanding as the boundaries of behaviour appear to be moving. But Jesus offers us his leadership one day at a time, built on his integrity, sacrifice, promises, and his continuing presence with us in all our struggles. He reveals a programme of love, forgiveness and personal transformation that can affect whole nations. A leader like that gets my vote every time!

"Don't do as I do - do as I say!"

 

Does integrity matter in public life today? In an age of terminal truth decay and the practised art of lying, have we given up hoping that those who lead, in government, business or church, can be trusted? And if they can't, do they deserve their position and the rewards that come with it? Or, have we become so innured to the problems of betrayal and half-truths that we shrug our shoulders and say, wearily, 'well, what more do you expect?'

I define integrity as the state of being where your outsides match your insides, and what you see is all there is. It is often revealed by how we behave when we think that nobody else is watching.

Dallas Willard, author of the book Renovation of the Heart, tells of a pastor who became very angry over a perceived mistake during a service and at the end got hold of the person responsible in a side room and let rip with a tirade of a merciless rebuke. The trouble was that the preacher had left his radio mic on and his furious rant was broadcast over the church audio system for all to hear, even in the church car-park! That pastor moved to another town shortly afterwards. 

But then, shouldn't we always be aware that the audience to our words and actions may be a lot wider than we imagine? In this day when cameras are everywhere and CCTV watches every move we make, we can hardly do or say anything without some kind of witness. Emails and WhatsApp messages come back to haunt people years after they were written. In a sense, our words and actions simply reflect our inner thoughts and motives. As Jesus said, it is not what enters into our bodies that defiles us, but that which proceeds out of our hearts.

Integrity and character do matter in leadership if people are to trust us. The apostle Paul set out his own approach to the subject in 2 Corinthians 6 when he said that he was determined not to put any 'stumbling-block' in anyone's path, so that his ministry would not be discredited. He also described himself as 'genuine, though regarded as imposters' (v 8). But the ultimate example of trustworthy leadership is Jesus, who lived and died for the sake of others, not for himself.

I am not wanting to make a political statement here, as others must make their own decsions on such things, but we should pray for those in authority both in the church and the world, that truth, honesty and integrity might be restored in our day.

Trust me - it matters!