Three Leadership Lessons for All of Us
Leadership. Everybody has opinions on it. Countless books have been written full of tips, hacks, and the path to becoming a great leader. The word brings to mind visions of boardrooms, CEOs, or marketing salesmen eating up tips to win those friends and influence as many people as possible.
For the everyday person, advice on leadership may feel reserved for pastors, bosses, and elders alone. Yet the word “lead” can have a much broader definition. Surely we can lead within formal organizations and offices, but we also lead by simply guiding.
The church is full of such leaders. Parents guide their children as they train their minds and direct their hearts. Brothers in Christ take turns drawing each other toward the works of the Lord. Mentors meet each week in an effort to lead their sisters to the feet of Jesus.
We all need lessons in the spheres of leadership, but we need much more than mere tricks and hacks. Scripture passages containing directives to shepherds of the church might come to mind as resources, yet have you ever taken a look at Deuteronomy?
While many truths can be gleaned from this incredible book, Deuteronomy communicates three main lessons of leadership that are not merely for pastors, business leaders, or politicians but for all of us.
1. LEADERS STEEP THEIR FOLLOWERS IN THE PAST
One of the most striking realities of Deuteronomy is how much the text prioritizes the past. Before renewing the covenant to the people of Israel, Moses reminds them of their history. He told them to not forget “how the Lord took care of you” (Deut. 8:11). He beckoned them to remember the judgment God poured out upon Pharaoh and the Egyptians that enabled their redemption (Duet. 7:17). He reinstated the truth of YAHWEH’s faithfulness to the covenant he made with their fathers (Deut. 7:9, 9:5).
Why was it so important for Moses to guide them to remember the past? Because it made a difference for their future. Reminders of their history would strengthen their courage in battle and keep them from turning to false gods (Deut. 7:17). When they took care to remember what their eyes had seen (Deut. 4:9), they would know that just as God defeated the Egyptians, he would be with them as they faced the Canaanites.
We need the same reminders. As we seek to guide our brothers and sisters in Christ, we must remind them of what God has already done. A friend battling chronic illness needs to be shown the promises of the Lord throughout Scripture and needs to be reminded of the ways God has already shown his hand in her life. A child who is taught to show kindness to his sibling must be anchored in the truth that they can love because God first loved them.
Memories of the past can be both pleasant or bitter, yet we need both to teach us. Moses not only reminded people of God’s goodness to them but he also reminded them of their rebellion and its corresponding consequences. He challenged them to remember how they provoked the Lord to wrath (9:7), how they rebelled and complained (1:26), and how God punished his people at Baal-Peor (4:3).
We can follow suit. We can gently remind our children of the consequences they’ve experienced when they chose selfishness over God’s direction. We can warn our brothers or sisters of our own failures and the bitter fruit it bore in our lives.
Good leadership is not only concerned with vision boards and goals of the future—good leaders will ground others in both the good and the bad of the past.
2. LEADERS KNOW THEY ARE HELPLESS
Political campaigns highlight the strength of their candidate, heralding how he alone can fill a perceived need of the state or country. Deuteronomy tells a different story. Before the Israelites crossed into the Promised Land, Moses passed on leadership to Joshua in an interesting way.
In the sight of all Israel, Moses charged Joshua to be strong and courageous as he leads the people into the land God has promised. So far so good, but then Moses explicitly states why Joshua should be strong. Surprisingly, it’s not because he’s an effervescent leader, smart, or because he’s been trained by the best. Instead, it’s because the Lord goes before him, and the Lord will be with him (Deut. 31:7–8).
Moses makes very clear the only reason they will succeed is because of the Lord’s presence. It has nothing to do with Joshua. And in whatever leadership capacity we hold, whether a parent, pastor, or blogger—it’s the same. We are helpless without the Lord. No matter how many events we organize or mentorship meetings we set up, we must remember that we are not the perfecter of anybody’s faith. That’s God’s job.
There is great beauty in the various roles of the body of Christ, but they are all under the head of Christ (Eph. 4:31). God works in his people (Phil. 2:11–12), and his Spirit sanctifies (2 Cor. 3:18). We are merely instruments of the change he works. Acknowledging God’s headship not only keeps us humble but it also relieves us from overwhelming pressure. It allows us to serve freely, knowing he will work as he sees fit. This means we can come to our Bible study with a friend or devotions with our family with the knowledge that God can use even our jumbled words. Good leaders know that the hearts of those we pray for and minister to are ultimately in the hands of someone who is more than able.
3. LEADERS BELIEVE WITHOUT SEEING
Unfortunately Moses, the great leader, never saw the physical fruit of his work. Though he pleaded with the Lord to let him enter the Promised Land, he was rebuked, for the Lord was angry with him for the sins of Israel, as well as his own disobedience (Deut. 3:26). Yet God allowed Moses to survey the land from the top of a mountain. Sean Lucas describes Moses’s reality as “believing without receiving” and “hoping without realizing.”
How often can we feel the same today? We believe the truths that God is working, but we plead with God to show us results now. Instead, each day, we are tasked to teach our children or invest in that friend by faith. Like a gardener patiently weeding and watering, we must trust that God will produce a harvest. Sometimes we will see fruit, but at other times we might only see hardship, suffering, and struggles. Often as we lead other people to Christ, we are stuck in the middle—seeing what God’s already done and desperately praying for what he has yet to do.
Even though Moses wasn’t able to enter the physical Promised Land, Hebrews reminds us he truly longed for a heavenly city. By faith, Moses ultimately received it (Heb. 11:16). His faith was not in vain.
BETTER THAN THE LATEST LIFE-HACK
While we toil away in whatever ministry or relationship we lead, we can gird our faith and assurance in the hope to come. We can root our freedom in Christ’s ability and the sure reality of his past work in our lives.
These lessons in leadership found in Deuteronomy are for every one of us. They might not be as catchy as the supposed latest life hack, but they are lessons that will free us and give far better returns.
Brianna Lambert is a wife and mom to three, making their home in the cornfields of Indiana. She loves using writing to work out the truths God is teaching her each day. She is a staff writer with GCD and has contributed to various online publications, such as Morning by Morning and The Gospel Coalition. You can find more of her writing paired with her husband’s photography at lookingtotheharvest.com.