Who is a Godly Leader?
A godly leader is a mature follower of Jesus Christ; Who through thorough training and experience, have developed the character of Jesus, wisdom, knowledge, understanding and the disciplines required to lead others rightly, and in a godly way. Matthew 20:26–28 “It shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be your slave, even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
Leadership is not built on honour but of diligent services to God and mankind. Philippians 2:3-4, “Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others“. Honour does not produce good leadership in Christ, but efficient services to God and mankind validates, vindicates and establishes good and effective leadership in Christ.
Examples of godly Leaders through preparation by God for ministry:
* Moses spent 40yrs in Midian.
* John the Baptist spent 30yrs in the Wilderness.
* Jesus spent 30yrs preparing for His ministry.
The Four Stages of Growth in A Godly Leader
Talk about a child of God, a mature child of God, sonship and priesthood. The spiritual growth of a Child of God is not dependent on age, status, gender or possessions; rather, it is dependent on the grace of God, our obedience to God and His word, and our yieldedness to the Holy Spirit.
1. Child: John 1:12 “But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God”.
2. Mature Child: 2 Timothy 2:15 “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth“.
3. Sonship: Galatians 2:20 “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ lives in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me“.
4. Priesthood: Luke 22:42 “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done“.
10 Qualities of a Godly Leader.
1. Integrity – Honest and trustworthy.
2. Delegation – Delegates with wisdom and are Spirit led.
3. Communication – communicates in truth and with clarity.
4. Self-Awareness – Examines self regularly.
5. Gratitude – Thankful and appreciative.
6. Learning Agility – Learns, is correctable and admits their faults.
7. Influence – Affects lives positively and is not manipulative.
8. Empathy – Shows empathy and understanding towards others and circumstances.
9. Courage – Bold, Courageous and stands for truth.
10. Respect – Humble, treat people as individuals and listen to others opinions.
12 Characteristics of a Godly Leader – Benny Shobo
1. Hunger for God and the presence of God.
Psalm 63:1, ” You, God, are my God, earnestly I seek you; I thirst for you, my whole being longs for you, in a dry and parched land where there is no water”.
2. Substitute his/her will for God’s will.
Luke 22:42b “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done“.
3. The Reverential Fear of God
Psalm 25:12 “Who is the man who fears the Lord? He will instruct him in the way he should choose“.
4. Faith: Live a life of faith in God, His word and promises.
5. Wisdom, knowledge, Understanding and Self control.
Galatians 2:20 “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me“.
6. Purity of Heart:
Matthew 5:8 “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God“.
1 Peter 1:22 “Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for a sincere brotherly love, love one another earnestly from a pure heart“.
*. Psalm 51:10-12 “Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew the right spirit within me. Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me. Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit“.
7. Divine Encounters:
* Psalm 24:3-5, “Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord? or who shall stand in his holy place? He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully. He shall receive the blessing from the Lord, and righteousness from the God of his salvation”.
8. Complete Obedience to God:
* 1 John 2:5-6, “But if anyone obeys His word, God’s love is truly made complete in Him. This is how we know we are in Him: Whoever claims to live in Him must walk as Jesus did“.
* 1 John 5:3, “This is love for God: to obey His commands. And His commands are not burdensome”.
9. Consecrations through prayers, fastings, givings etc
* Acts 6:4, “And will give our attention to prayer and the ministry of the word“.
* Acts 12:5, “So Peter was kept in prison, but earnest prayer for him was made to God by the church.”
10. Agape Love:
* 1 John 4:16, “So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him”.
* Deuteronomy 6:5, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might“.
* 1 John 4:8, “But anyone who does not love does not know God, for God is love“.
11. Divine Grace and Empowerment:
* 2 Corinthians 12:9, “And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness“.
* Romans 5-8, “Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we[c] also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us”.
12. Joy, Peace and Hope in the Holy Spirit.
* Hebrews 12:2, “Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God”.
* Romans 15:13, “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit“.
God bless you!