Issue #50, February 23, 2011
Moses’ life and leadership took a dramatic change after his first attempt at leadership. Pharaoh discovered the murder and sought to kill Moses. So “Moses fled from Pharoah and went to live in Midian…” (Exodus 2:15b) Picture the transition. Moses goes from being “powerful in speech and action” (Acts 7:22) to being an unknown stranger in the desert. One day he was a privileged member of the ruling family in Egypt; the next, a fugitive on the run. One day he had servants at his disposal; the next day there was no one who paid any attention to his needs. For the next 40 years Moses lived in the desert as a shepherd, as God prepared him to be a servant leader. As we observe what happened to Moses in the desert we can gain valuable principles about how God prepares servant leaders.
Preparing servant leaders requires character development.
Moses didn’t become the meekest man on earth in the palace; he developed this characteristic in the desert. God took this time to strategically shape the character of Moses. In the desert his royal titles didn’t matter. His ability to navigate the halls of the palace didn’t help find his way to the watering hole. His education at this point seems to have been wasted. It is a time of breaking and humbling for Moses. God is preparing him for the challenges of leading a nation where his character would be sorely tested. He needed to be able to handle miraculous power without pride, he would need to withstand tremendous opposition and rebellion without retaliation. This time of character training was so effective that in the rest of Moses’ life and leadership we only find one time when he failed in a test of his character. God shapes our character over time by allowing us to go through our own times of testing. He is more interested in a strong foundation than a polished exterior.
Preparing servant leaders requires acts of service.
Moses had learned the art of taking life in Egypt. Now he needed to learn the skill of care and nurture. He learned to serve others, not through heroic actions but through small acts of sacrifice. His heart to serve leads Moses to rescue the daughters of Midian and water their flocks. From that act God gives him a wife and then children, more great opportunities to learn to serve others! The act of shepherding for years must have taught Moses a lot about looking out for the needs of the sheep, protecting them from danger, finding food for their physical needs and nurturing those who were weak or sick. Those whom God will use as servant leaders must learn how to serve others. Those who are not willing to pay the price of obscure acts of service are not capable of leading from the top with a servant heart.
Preparing servant leaders requires time.
40 years is a long time! Wasn’t there a faster way for God to teach Moses all He wanted him to learn? We live in a modern world where we want instant results and expect leaders to develop quickly. But leadership development is a process that takes time and there are no shortcuts for God’s preparation process.
As harsh and uncomfortable as the desert must have been for Moses, it is the place God chose to prepare him. Many other biblical leaders including Elijah, David, Jesus and Paul spent transformational time in isolation. Leadership maturity is forged on the anvil of difficulty and servant leaders allow God to complete His work in the desert.
After 40 years as a shepherd, Moses was ready for the call that would transform his life. We’ll look at that in our next issue.
The background reading for this issue is: Exodus 2:15-3:1.
For further reflection and discussion:
- Are there areas of your leadership in which you sense that the foundation is not strong enough to support the role you are carrying? What can you learn from Moses’ preparation that can help you?
- If you sense that you are in a stage of preparation for leadership, reflect on what God is doing. What areas of character is He working on in your life? What acts of service is He calling you to do that will go unnoticed by others?
- Read the accounts of other Biblical leaders who had wilderness experiences in 1 Kings 19; 2 Sam 1, Matthew 4, and Gal. 1: 17-18. What do you learn from their experiences that is helpful for your own leadership?