What's Wrong: Leadership

Their beloved King David was dead. The Israelites faced uncertainty under the leadership of his son, Solomon. As always, there were questions about the ability of the new ruler to lead the people. Not long after his coronation, a dispute arose.

Two women came to Solomon with a story of a child who had died in the night, leaving only one of the women with a living child. Both women claimed that child was her own, and both were equally convincing. The young king called for a sword and one was delivered. "And the king said, 'Divide the living child in two, and give half to the one and half to the other'"(1 Kings 3:25).

The first woman was overcome with emotion and asked that the child be given to the second woman rather than divided, but the second woman said, "He shall be neither mine nor yours; divide him!" (v. 26).

The young king compassionately answered, "Give the first woman the living child, and by no means kill him. She is his mother" (v.27).

The people of Israel then revered their new ruler, understanding that he carried the wisdom of God. They learned a valuable lesson about whether or not they could trust Solomon.

What about you? Do you trust President Clinton? Did you trust President Bush? Or President Reagan? Do you trust Governor Bush? Or Senator Gramm?

The facts are that much of our nation, Christians included, does not trust its leaders. Many say this stems from the days of Richard Nixon and Watergate, with scandals since then only adding to the distrust. Indeed, this lack of trust was not always present. Few leaders were as trusted as FDR or Eisenhower, and Truman showed that he too, had an ability to lead. What can be done then, to renew trust in those we have chosen to lead us?

For one thing, we must demand more of our leaders. It is important to let them know that we expect them to deal with our country judiciously, and that we expect them to uphold the values still held dear by most Americans. The real problem with cynicism is that it only breeds more corruption and thus, further cynicism. Our politicians are living up to what we expect from them, and it is time to expect more and to vote out those who do not measure up. The fact is, when we fail to submit to our government, we sin (1 Pet. 2:13-15), and if our government is allowed to grow more and more corrupt, we will be more and more tempted not to submit. Remember that the government to which Peter's readers owed allegiance was corrupt as well, but that did not stop the apostle from commanding that they submit.

Far more important than demanding more upright government from our leaders is praying for it. "First of all, then, I urge that entreaties and prayers, petitions and thanksgivings, be made on behalf of all men, for kings and all who are in authority, in order that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity" (1 Tim. 2:1-2, emphasis added).

We need to pray for our leaders, that God will reach their hearts and they will act in such a manner as to allow for the spreading of the gospel and the upholding of justice. After all, while we may desire that our government do many things, there is really only the two things which are important. First, if our government passes laws which hinder the spread of the gospel, we are in most dire straits, and if our government fails to uphold justice, it will fall, just as surely as Assyria fell, and Babylon fell, and Judah fell, and Rome fell, and the Third Reich fell. God will hold a nation accountable for its stand on justice.

When we succumb to the cynicism of the world toward our nation's leaders, we lack faith in our God to deliver the kind of leadership for which we pray. Do we doubt that God can deliver a leader who can inspire our trust?

America was once a nation founded on at least some spiritual truths, and we must pray for a return to the kinds of values which engender trust and allow us to continue our goal to spread the gospel. We must pray that our current leaders, if we doubt them, can grow into true leaders. And we must pray that our government uphold justice and the rights of Christians.