Word Count: 749

Contact ETURUVIE EREBOR

Good Leaders Don't Defraud The People.

by ETURUVIE EREBOR  
5/05/2014 / Leadership

Leadership is about service; service to the people and not service to self. When a leader serves self instead of the people, he has missed the mark. Anytime a leader defrauds the people he leads it is because he has ceased to serve them and begun to serve self. A person who truly understands that leadership is a call to serve the people and not himself will not defraud them.
Moses was one of the greatest leaders in the Bible; he understood what it meant to lead and did not defraud the children of Israel. When Korah and company rebelled against his authority, Moses said to God "Do not regard their offering! I have not taken a single donkey from them, nor have I done harm to any of them." Truly he was a man serving the people and not serving self.
Samuel was the last judge in the land of Israel; like Moses he also understood that leadership is a call to serve the people and not oneself. Samuel did not defraud the people, as a matter of fact, during Saul's coronation, Samuel said to the people of Israel, "Now, here is the king walking before you, but I am old and gray, and behold my sons are with you. And I have walked before you from my youth even to this day. Here I am; bear witness against me before the LORD and His anointed. Whose ox have I taken, or whose donkey have I taken, or whom have I defrauded? Whom have I oppressed, or from whose hand have I taken a bribe to blind my eyes with it? I will restore it to you." They said, "You have not defrauded us or oppressed us or taken anything from any man's hand." That is a powerful testimony of integrity.
Nehemiah was a slave in a foreign land but when he learned that the walls of Jerusalem had been burnt down, he returned to rebuild them; because he was successful in leading the people to rebuild the walls he was made their governor. As governor there were certain privileges that Nehemiah was entitled to but he refused these privileges because he did not want to put an additional burden on the people. These are the words of Nehemiah, "Moreover, from the time that I was appointed to be their governor, neither I nor my brothers ate the governor's provisions; but the former governors who were before me, laid burdens on the people and took from them bread and wine, besides forty shekels of silver. Yes, even their servants bore rule over the people, but I did not do so because of the fear of God. Indeed, I also continued the work on this wall and we did not buy any land." Nehemiah was truly a servant leader, he could have taken the governor's provision, he could have bought land but those things were not his priority, serving the people and ultimately God was priority.
Apostle Paul, unarguably the greatest apostle, in speaking to the elders of the church at Ephesus said, "Yea, ye yourselves know, that these hands have ministered unto my necessities, and to them that were with me." He took nothing from them; he worked with his hands to sustain himself and the people who preached the gospel with him.
Moses, Samuel, Nehemiah and Paul did not defraud the people they led. A leader is called to serve the people and a good leader knows this; therefore, he does not seek to serve himself rather he seeks to serve the people and enrich their lives.
When a leader defrauds the people he loses their respect and so is unable to correct their errors. After David stepped out of line in the issue of Bathsheba and served self by defrauding Uriah the Hittite of his wife and ultimately his life, he lost the respect of the people and so when his son Amnon raped his own daughter Tamar, he was silent. Although the Bible records that he was angry yet there is no record that Amnon was disciplined by David for his evil deed. His passivity concerning the issue drove Absalom to murder Amnon. Had David responded accordingly by disciplining Amnon perhaps Absalom's anger would have been appeased and the murder of Amnon avoided. However, David could not discipline Amnon because of his own failure as a leader.
When leaders stop serving the people and begin to serve self, there are always grave consequences.

Eturuvie Erebor.

Eturuvie Erebor (AKA Gabriella) is a writer, speaker, trainer and coach with a strong passion to transform the lives of women and youth not only in her native country, Nigeria and the United Kingdom, where she was born, but all across the world. She has spoken to women and youth groups in churches,

Article Source: http://www.faithwriters.com-CHRISTIAN WRITERS

If you died today, are you absolutely certain that you would go to heaven? You can be! Click here and TRUST JESUS NOW

Read more articles by ETURUVIE EREBOR

Like reading Christian Articles? Check out some more options. Read articles in Main Site Articles, Most Read Articles or our highly acclaimed Challenge Articles. Read Great New Release Christian Books for FREE in our Free Reads for Reviews Program. Or enter a keyword for a topic in the search box to search our articles.

Enter comments below. Due to spam, all hyperlinks posted in the comments are now immediately disabled by our system.

Please type the following word below:

Not readable? Change text.

The opinions expressed by authors do not necessarily reflect the opinion of FaithWriters.com.

Hire a Christian Writer, Christian Writer Wanted, Christian Writer Needed, Christian Content Needed, Find a Christian Editor, Hire a Christian Editor, Christian Editor, Find a Christian Writer