Courageous LeadersSample

TRANSFORMATION OF THE LEADER

When God called Moses out, he was a reluctant leader. He had all the possible excuses one could have, using them to refuse the responsibility to which God was calling him. His own inferiority, lack of knowledge of God, fear, physical inabilities, and feeling that he was not capable of taking up this task, were some of the excuses. However a few years later, we see him as the most humble person on earth, who was able to move a nation through 40 years in wilderness to where God wanted them to go. It is interesting to reflect on all the leadership transformation he went through in these years.

The first transformation he went through was one of hearing, seeing and knowing what God heard, saw and knew, rather than depending on his own hearing, perceiving and knowledge. God had told him, “I have heard the cries, I have seen the suffering and I know what my people are going through”. Moses was full of his own cries, so much of back ground noises in his ears that he could not hear what God was hearing, he found it difficult to see the way God saw and to understand issues the way God understood. But he allowed his own voices, perceptions and knowledge to be reduced and grew in the ability to hear, see and understand the challenges God’s people were going through, through God’s ears, eyes and mind.

Leaders are people who are willing for this transformation -the ability to see and perceive issues though God’s senses.

The second transformation Moses went through was one of going out himself as a saviour of his brethren, to one who was appointed and sent by God. As a young person he felt he had to save his people, but years later when God called and sent him, he went out as one sent by God. His appointing authority was God. Leaders are those who understand that they are appointed and sent by God and not an institution or an organization. They fall back on God when they face the inevitable challenges of leading people.

The third change he went through was one of moving from his own ability, skills, competence to God’s enabling and empowering to fulfil what God had called him for. Through the years in wilderness, he had already reached a point of feeling incompetent to fulfill God’s expectations for his life, and this was a good starting point from which he could easily fall back on God who could enable and empower him.

The fourth change was, moving from a lone leader to a team builder and a team player. He received Aaron, his first team member to be his spokesperson. Miriam joined him probably as the worship leader. Many others joined him later as judges and supervisors on the advice of his father-in-law. He held hands with others, and they complemented each other to take forward the task given to them by God. The call became the responsibility of the team. Leaders are those who are interdependent on each other and build and take a team along.

Prayer

Lord, enable us to be like Moses, being transformed in the process of fulfilling the call of God in our lives.