31 January

Whether in difficulty or success, follow David’s example by seeking to build your life on the foundation of prayer and worship.

For the last few years I have written down a list of cries ‘for help’ (v.6a) in the margins of my Bible in One Year. It is amazing to see the ways in which God has heard my cry. So many of the prayers (although not all quite yet) have been answered. Keeping a record helps me not to forget to thank God.

What does it mean, in practice, to ‘lead like Jesus’?

• Lead from who you are more than your position
  Who you are is far more important than what you do or what you have, in terms of possessions or position. Jesus’ authority did not come from having a high position in some hierarchy. It came from who he was as a person. He had a natural authority. He had total confidence that all he needed to say was, ‘the Lord needs them’ (v.3). No threats or promises were required.

• Be gentle and unassuming
  ‘Your king comes to you, gentle…’ (v.5). This is not a characteristic of leadership that the world expects. Yet it was right at the heart of Jesus’ leadership. The Greek word for ‘gentle’ means considerate, unassuming. It is the opposite of aggressive or self-seeking.

• Avoid arrogance and ostentation
  Jesus entered Jerusalem on a donkey. What a contrast to so many other leaders in history, secular and religious, who have travelled with pomp and ceremony and ostentatious entourages. Jesus’ mode of transport was a sign of great humility. It is the opposite of pride and arrogance, which can so easily creep into human leadership.
• Have the courage to confront
  People sometimes think that gentleness and humility mean giving way in every situation, but Jesus was not afraid of confrontation. He ‘entered the temple area and drove out all who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money-changers’ (v.12). One of the hardest aspects of leadership is to know the right moment for confrontation.
• Conflict and confrontation are a necessary part of good leadership. Failure to confront is in itself a decision with consequences. Confrontation is never easy, but, wisely applied, it is a necessary part of courageous leadership.
• Seek spiritual, not worldly power
  The power of Jesus was so different from many of the leaders in the world. ‘The blind and the lame came to him at the temple, and he healed them’ (v.14). Spiritual power is far more important than earthly power. It cannot be manufactured. It can only come from the kind of relationship Jesus had with God.
• Make prayer your number one priority
  In Jesus’ confrontation with the money-changers we see how passionate he was about prayer (v.13). Throughout the Gospels, we read of Jesus withdrawing (v.17) to be on his own with God. This was the source of his strength. Like with David, prayer was at the heart of Jesus’ leadership.
• Job’s insight foreshadows the New Testament hope of resurrection and eternal life. A godly leader has an eternal perspective, which gives a totally different dimension to Christian leadership.
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