2 Samuel 23:3
“The God of Israel said, the Rock of Israel spake to me, He that ruleth over men must be just, ruling in the fear of God.”
In the final days of David’s life, he reveals the advice that God gave him concerning leading Israel. This was not leadership advice from a leader trying to sell a book, but this was leadership advice from the God Who rules over mankind. God made it clear to David that if he were to be successful as a leader, then he needed to be a just leader and a leader whose leadership is always guided by the fear of God.
Every leader must be a just leader. Being a just leader is not treating any person differently, but judging everyone by the same law. A leader who is going to be right with God and man must treat everyone the same. Being a just leader is treating the rich the same way you treat the poor. Being a just leader is treating followers the same way you would treat another leader. Being a just leader is treating a person of no stature the same way you would treat a person of position. A godly leader is one who treats everyone the same.
Moreover, a just leader is one who uses the established rules or laws to make decisions. Being just is more than treating everyone the same, but it is also letting the established rules guide their judgments instead of their feelings. Great leaders do not lead by feeling, but they lead by the established rules. If you want to be a godly leader, then you must be one who bases every decision upon the established rules or laws.
Every leader must also be one who is guided by the fear of God. The fear of God will cause leaders to obey the commandments of God’s Word. In other words, God expects you to lead with the understanding that He will hold you accountable for everything you do. You may think that your leadership position sets you above the laws of God, but you will soon find out that God holds leaders accountable to His Word. A fear of God will cause the leader to follow God’s Word out of fear of God’s judgment if they don’t.
Furthermore, a fear of God will keep you from the influence of the fear of man. Many leaders have strayed from what they were supposed to do because they were guided by a fear of man. A good leader will not allow man’s leverage to influence what they do. A good leader is one who lets their fear of God guide everything that they do.
Are you leading by the two characteristics God requires? If you want God to bless your leadership, then you must be guided by these two characteristics. When a leader is determined to be just in all they do because they have a healthy fear of God, then you will find a leader who people can trust because they know that leader is fair.
Before a leader makes any decision, they must ask themselves these questions: What did I do with others in this situation? What do the established rules or laws say? What does God’s Word say concerning this situation? Would God be pleased with my decision? These four questions will help every leader to lead in the manner by which God wants them to lead.