What makes a good leader?

Every day we're reading or listening to part of the Bible together and sharing thoughts with you. Today it’s Bern Leckie:

What did I like about today’s passage?

I am amazed by how clear the contrast is between Jeremiah, who accepted God’s word and chose a life defined by passing it on faithfully, and his opponents who have so many reasons in their own minds to resist.

It’s tragic because God wanted to guide people back to himself and a better life than what they had. It makes me wonder why the kings in particular, Jehoiakim and Zedekiah, didn’t want that.

Jehoiakim seemed unable to accept bad news or correction, even when many around him made time for Jeremiah and his words, wanting to protect him and them. This was a king of God’s people who had stopped wanting to be defined by God and burned up his own legacy.

Zedekiah seems a little more nuanced. Did he want to know God’s word or not? Did he want to protect Jeremiah or… what? I’m struggling to see what defines him at all. Virtually everyone who approached him wanting to do something, he let them do. Was he even a king?

Looking back at his story towards the end of 2 Kings, I remember that he was the young man placed into leadership of Judah by the king of Babylon, he “did evil in the eyes of the Lord” and, for no well explained reason, rebelled against Babylon, causing the siege of Jerusalem. At what point did Zedekiah break? Did his failed rebellion crush his spirit, or did he never have a reliable leadership bone in his body to begin with?

Either way, look at the massive difference between his weakness and the strength God gave Jeremiah to endure all of this nonsense and still proclaim God’s word faithfully.

What did it show me about Father God, Jesus or the Holy Spirit?

God provides leadership and can pass good leadership qualities to people who are willing to be defined by him and live faithfully. God doesn’t promise comfort as a sign that this is going well, but he can use faithful people to change the world and point the way to a good life far more effectively than self-centred leaders who might be in office but not in power.

What am I going to do differently as a result?

Sometimes it’s fun to look at a Bible story and identify with the character in a story I’d most like to be like. For me, it’s clear who I’d like to be, but it’s no fun imagining sharing Jeremiah’s suffering. So, I still feel the need to spend more time with God and seek clarity and strength from him. I want to point to God faithfully. Am I ready for this not to be comfy, and not to judge what is going well by how good it feels?

Who am I going to share this with?

My family and others I follow Jesus with.