Our God and Father has shown us how to achieve significance, through His word. In many biblical examples of how men and women similarly placed as us conducted themselves, we have a blueprint to follow. What were the qualities these men and women of God exhibited to attain that end?
- Commitment to God:
In the Book of Genesis, we are introduced to Joseph, a boy who lived in his father’s tent and may very well have been what we call in common parlance, ‘a spoiled brat’, but who became a man of distinction and of great position and significance. We are taken through his life and become spectators of the journey of a man totally committed to God, a man who would not be corrupted, and who rejected compromise, an easy compromise with alluring benefits, and suffered for it – just because he had a deep knowledge of the God of his father Jacob, and sincerely revered Him.
- Meekness
To be meek is not to be weak. In the Book of Genesis, we meet the man Moses, described as the meekest man that ever lived. As I have recounted before now, he was a once a proud Prince of Egypt who through his experiences (including setbacks), learned the secret of true leadership: meekness. Power under self-control. He was able to lead this way because he understood that the Lord was his source. He understood that did not have to make a case for himself by being arrogant, authoritarian, cavalier, or unkind, for God Himself was the keeper of his reputation.
- Excellence Borne Out of Integrity
In the Book of Daniel, we are introduced to a man who through self-discipline, integrity, purposefulness and excellence in his character and in the execution of his duties, rose to become the chief of three Presidents in charge of the entire Babylonian empire. He was taken captive to Babylon and ended up its ruler, and he did this by not compromising on his beliefs: he refused to eat the king’s food so lavishly prepared and freely given. He also refused to bow to the idol which was at the time the symbol of loyalty to the king. He refused to compromise his stance by praying to his God with windows open, when he knew that such a deed might lead to the loss of his position and even his life.
- Courage
In the Book of Judges, we read about Gideon, a coward who hid in a winepress to thresh grain because he was afraid that the Midianites who were oppressing the Israelites would come and take away his food. Yet, when he understood that the Lord was with him, he exhibited courage and led his people to war against the Midianites, trusting that the battle was the Lord’s and gained a historic victory.
- Love for God and Accountability
King David, like Moses, was a man who understood the significance of God’s presence and coveted it all his life. He loved God, and was neither afraid nor ashamed to show it. He ruled in the sight of God, holding himself accountable to Him. It is no wonder that he became the most successful king of the people of Israel and remains, after about three thousand years, their symbol of authority, in the flag of the nation of Israel: the Star of David.
Beware the Pitfalls
Being in leadership in current times carries with it trappings and connotations of power and entitlement. Thus Christians in positions of leadership often forget that true significance is a life lived for God and man. So, we flounder and throw our weight about, seeking significance in the eyes of men.
In the Book of 1 Kings, we are introduced to Jeroboam the son of Nebat, the first king of the Northern tribes of Israel (Ephraim). He made the mistake of seeking significance in the eyes of men when he tried to consolidate his position as king of Israel. To do this, he initiated practices that thereafter earned him the title of the evil king.
Jeroboam’s bloodline was not in succession to the throne, and yet God had chosen him to be king. He did not work for it. Indeed, before he became king, he had received a prophecy about it. Then events in which he had little input quickly placed him on the throne: King Rehoboam by his churlish conduct, handed ten tribes of Israel to Jeroboam to reign over. Jeroboam had it all, but lost it all, because like his kindred spirit, King Saul the first king of Israel, he did not understand this pivotal truth: that true and enduring significance is achieved with, and under God.
