CHAPTER 8
TEACHABLE
Becoming a leader is not the end of the road as far as personal and spiritual growth in concerned, in fact, it is just the beginning of another road that needs to be travelled, and as you have had to grow in order to achieve your leadership position, so you must learn to operate in the authority and office of a leader so that you or the company do not stagnate. It is so easy to sit back and wallow in the light of a higher office but there are greater things that wait.
Solomon, son of David, approached his kingship with the right attitude:
And now, O LORD my God, thou hast made thy servant king instead of David my father: and I am but a little child: I know not how to go out or come in.
Give therefore thy servant an understanding heart to judge thy people, that I may discern between good and bad: for who is able to judge this thy so great a people? (1Kings.3:7-9)
Solomon was not all that young when he became king, but becoming king was a new beginning for him. His experience of leadership at that point was the same as being a child in the experiences of the world and acknowledging his lack of leadership ability and his ignorance of what was required of him to be king was but the first step in a journey that would lead to him being called the wisest man who ever lived. As a result of the wisdom given to him by God, over the years, he acquired vast wealth, prestige and power. From all over the world accolades and gifts poured in, most notably, from the queen of Sheba:
And she said to the king, It was a true report that I heard in mine own land of thy acts and of thy wisdom.
Howbeit I believed not the words, until I came, and mine eyes had seen it: and, behold, the half was not told me: thy wisdom and prosperity exceedeth the fame which I heard. (1Kings 10:6-7)
Jeremiah too, was young when he was called to be a prophet, and like Solomon before him, he acknowledged his lack of experience and his weaknesses and called on the Lord to help address them. Israel, being a patriarchal society, would not look kindly on a young upstart telling the elders what to do.
Then the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,
Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations.
Then said I, Ah, Lord GOD! behold, I cannot speak: for I am a child.
But the LORD said unto me, Say not, I am a child: for thou shalt go to all that I shall send thee, and whatsoever I command thee thou shalt speak.
Be not afraid of their faces: for I am with thee to deliver thee, saith the LORD.
(Jer. 1:4-8)
In contrast to the youth of Jeremiah and the middle age of Solomon, we have the eighty year old Moses, called out of the wilderness of Midian to lead the Israelites out of Egypt. Moses was very reluctant to take on the role, and he listed his weaknesses before the Lord:
And Moses said unto the LORD, O my Lord, I am not eloquent, neither heretofore, nor since thou hast spoken unto thy servant: but I am slow of speech, and of a slow tongue.
And the LORD said unto him, Who hath made man's mouth? or who maketh the dumb, or deaf, or the seeing, or the blind? have not I the LORD?
(Exod.4:10-11)
The Lord countered the man’s weaknesses by reminding Moses through demonstration of His strength and ability, and so started a journey of learning for Moses and the Israelites that would see the establishment of one nation under one God, a nation that learned the hard way about faith, obedience, survival and even warfare.
Solomon, Jeremiah, Moses are all proof of the fact that age has nothing to do with leadership and one’s willingness to learn. Each was prepared to learn even though it would take years for their learning to bring forth fruit.
Jesus called all to learn of Him: -
Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.
For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. (Matt.11:28-30)
So many leaders are weighed down with the cares and troubles of the world, literally carrying the weight of the world upon their shoulders. So many feel incapable of carrying the troubles of those in their care, but Jesus says: “Learn of Me … and you will find rest.” The burden of so many responsibilities has undermined the potential of so many. Leaders need to learn to cast:
all your care upon Him; for He careth for you.(1Pet.5:7)
There is a wonderful chorus that calls us to – “Let go and let God have His wonderful way”. Something Israel’s greatest king, David, learnt to do as a man after Gods own heart (Acts 13:22). During his lifetime he certainly was no angel, he lied, committed treason, abused the temple, coveted, committed adultery, murdered, procrastinated, contended with his own rebellious family, but through it all, every time his sin was pointed out to him and with each misstep, he listened to wise counsel, accepted responsibility and learnt, continually growing in stature and power.
As we see with the Biblical leaders, learning begins by knowing and acknowledging your weaknesses. Even the greatest of leaders is not perfect and has shortcomings, but what separates great from mediocre is a willingness to listen to constructive criticism, to learn from experiences, to acknowledge mistakes and avoid them in the future.
Before his conversion on the road to Damascus, the Pharisee Saul thought he knew it all, and he was going to show his superiors just how good he was. Who did those upstart Christians think they were? He believed he was right and he would do anything to prove every Christian wrong. On that road to his destiny he was to find out that all the Scriptural knowledge he had, all the teaching he had received under the renowned teacher Gamaliel was only the beginning of a much greater source of knowledge. It would take him three years in the wilderness and a lot of time learning from the disciples, before he could take up the mantle of evangelist and preach to the heathen and even then his own knowledge and abilities were not enough.
And I, brethren, when I came to you, came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of God.
For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified.
And I was with you in weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling.
And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power:
That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God. (1Cor.2:1-5)
Becoming a leader is only the first step to greater things and to achieve greater things you need to increase your knowledge and learn more, but for that to happen you must be willing to learn.
A wise man will hear, and will increase learning; and a man of understanding shall attain unto wise counsels: (Prov.1:5)