Spiritual Leadership

Most of us have read the Exodus story so many times we take for granted the task before Moses.  It was quite a feat to move so many people such a long distance, to keep them together, to provide food and water for them and all the livestock, and to remain the leader of a people who never seemed to be satisfied with anything.  Few spiritual leaders of today's church could have handled the many tasks given to Moses and retained their whole hearted commitment to God.   

Of course, the Scripture makes it clear that there is no one like Moses.  Aside from the Christ who showed up in Bethlehem, no spiritual leader stands taller than this man who would have rather tended sheep in the wilderness for his father-in-law than going toe-to-toe with Pharoah.  He managed to keep his face facing God and was confident enough in who he was to receive guidance from Jethro, his father-in-law (Exodus 18).  The story of Moses reminds us that a spiritual leader is one who practices a listening kind of leadership.    Too many times our spiritual leaders in the local church as well as leaders such as Bishops and Superintendents practice an autocratic type of leadership which gives lip service to servant leadership.  

Those of us who have been entrusted at one time or another with spiritual leadership know how easy and desirable it is to surround ourselves with those whose counsel will always speak the "Yes" we want to hear.  Spiritual leaders have a tough role to hoe.  Like Moses the people who claim to be supporters often wander, the way forward seems to be filled with needs greater than resources, and when things go crazy, the faithful disappear.  No spiritual leader can hope for success and inner peace if he or she tries to go it alone  Prayer and truth speaking people are often the only thing which keeps the spiritual leader on the course God has set in place out there in the distance at the beginning of the journey.