God Uses Leaders

Leadership is a common topic in the modern world. Because it is so common, some people might think it’s just a secular topic and not a Christian one.

Consider, though, that God Himself is a leader. He is leading the world where He wants it to be.

But how does He lead? How does He move things forward in redemptive history? Generally, through leaders.

Even the most cursory reading of the Bible reveals this. God used Moses, David, Gideon, Solomon, Peter, Paul, and many others to lead people from where they were to where they needed to be.

Christian history reveals the same thing. He has used people like Martin Luther, John Wesley, Corrie ten Boom, and Billy Graham to move people forward.

On a daily level, he uses parents, pastors, friends, elders, and a host of others to lead people.

God also uses a host of people who have no leadership position but take leadership and action to meet needs, help people grow, move people out of bad situations, organize relief efforts, start initiatives, and connect people in relationships.

Far from being a minor theme, leadership is a major theme of the Bible and what God is doing in history. Most things that God does, He does through giving people a burden to do something when things could be and should be different and better.

God uses leaders.

So, what does this mean for us?

If we see a situation that needs to be changed, what we usually need is a leader.

So, first, pray for those who are leading and in leadership positions. If God works through leaders, we need to be asking God to protect them; to give them wisdom, strength, and compassion; and to give them courage to do what is right and good. If we care about those under their leadership, then we should pray for the leader.

Second, pray that God would raise up leaders. If something is not happening that needs to happen, then we may need new leaders who will step up and show the way.

Third, when things bother us, when we see the problems around us, when we see situations that break our hearts, we should consider if God is calling us to take leadership in those situations. If God uses people to lead others to a better place, then why not you? Why wait for someone else?

God is leading this world toward redemption, but He generally does it through leaders.