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An interesting survey might contain the question what is the greatest need of a leader? If you research that question on the internet, one response you will receive is:
The greatest need of a leader is the ability to effectively communicate and actively listen to their team, fostering trust and understanding by clearly conveying vision, goals, and expectations while also being receptive to feedback and diverse perspectives.
Other responses will include integrity, self-awareness, courage, respect, compassion, resilience, gratefulness, and humility.
Each of those responses is excellent; these are the character traits and abilities all leaders need to have. However, other than being a Christian by faith alone in Christ, which gives the leader the Holy Spirit and all His gifting assets, the greatest need of a leader is discernment!
Biblical discernment is made up of biblical knowledge and wisdom with the ability to use it with sensitivity, compassion, and courage. This kind of discernment comes from a deep and accurate understanding of God’s Word through hearing, reading, studying, memorizing, meditating, and applying it to every area of your life. In the Bible, it is called abiding in His Word and His Word abiding in you. It’s the same as abiding in Christ and Him abiding in you (John 15:7,8).
God’s Word underpins every successful leadership principle. It is why Christian leaders in ministry or business (if the two can even be divided) must spend time every day in the Word of God, listening to and talking to the Lord. It is the only safe way to know the good, great, and chief Shepherd (leader).As the Psalmist said,
“Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful; but his delight is in the law of the LORD, and in His law he meditates day and night. He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth its fruit in its season, whose leaf also shall not wither; and whatever he does shall prosper.” (Psalm 1:1-3, emphasis added).
But where does meditating in God’s Word begin? It begins by reading your Bible. There is a difference between reading it carefully and prayerfully and reading it carelessly and casually. It is not how fast you go through the Bible but how deep the Bible goes through you!
John Wesley suggested asking yourself the following questions to decide how serious you are in Bible reading.
- “Am I reading the Bible in a way that brings me in contact with the whole of it?”
- “Do I read Scripture in large enough portions to see isolated passages in their larger context?”
- “Do I use responsible aids to add the insights of others to my own story of God’s Word?”
- “Do I have a means of marking, noting, and recording my discoveries?”
Aren’t Wesley’s suggestions very practical? Let’s paraphrase them for today—first, aim to read all of Scripture, not just the parts you like. Second, don’t just read the verses out of their context. Third, use good commentaries. Finally, make good notes so you can remember what you read and go back for more study.
My wife and I were young on our wedding day and chose early on to put Christ first in our relationship. That doesn’t mean we had life all put together for us. It meant I needed help if I was going to be the servant leader of our new “family.” So, the week before our wedding day, I made a covenant with the Lord to read through the entire Bible thoughtfully and prayerfully every year of our marriage. I have now read through the Bible 55+ times. Our marriage has survived and, for the most part, thrived!
Wesley understood that Bible students are made, not born. This would be a great time to pick up some much-needed discernment from the Bible in whatever leadership role you have!
