Description

What do people look for in their leaders? Physical attributes? Prestigious educational credentials? Oratory skills? Experience? Courage? Are they seeking someone who can build consensus and inspire confidence in others? How often is character a consideration? How high does integrity rank on the list of qualifications?

It seems that we live in a culture that often confuses character with celebrity. People become famous for being famous, and if someone is well-known, their familiarity somehow engenders a level of trust and affirmation. But what kind of leaders is God looking for?

The Book of 1 Samuel reveals a wide range of character qualities in its featured personalities as the Israelites transitioned from the period of the judges to the era of the kings. People such as Hannah, Samuel, Eli, Saul, David, Jonathan, Abigail, and Nabal fill the stories as Israel makes the move from a theocracy to a monarchy.

As the people pressured Samuel to give them a king, the Lord told him, “Listen to all that the people are saying to you: it is not you they have rejected, but they have rejected me as their king” (1 Sam. 8:7). Aren’t we tempted to do the same? In the same way, as we search for leaders we should keep in mind the Lord’s instructions to Samuel when he was seeking Saul’s replacement, “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart” (1 Sam. 16:7).

All of us are called to be leaders in our homes, jobs, churches, and communities. What sort of character are we bringing to these roles? What is the condition of our heart?