Issue #205, April 19, 2017
The life of Jacob provides a clear contrast between two kinds of leadership. He spent the first half of his leadership journey as many leaders do, limping towards leadership. But an encounter with God later in his life marked him with a limp for the rest of his journey. In this issue, we’ll look at his leadership journey before that encounter with God. The account of his life as a young man reveals his view of leadership by the way he sought three things we all desire.
Jacob limped towards leadership by seeking authority.
The first glimpse into the life and character of Jacob comes when his brother Esau comes in from hunting and wants the food Jacob is cooking. Jacob responded, “First sell me your birthright” (Genesis 25:31). Jacob seized the opportunity when Esau was hungry to drive a hard bargain with his brother. The birthright gave the oldest child authority in the home as well as a double part of the inheritance. Jacob wanted this authority and took advantage of his brothers’ physical and moral weakness to take it from him. Leaders need authority but servant leaders never seek to take authority on their own. They are willing to grow influence even without a position. They acknowledge that positions are given by God and they patiently wait for God’s timing.
Jacob limped towards leadership by seeking approval.
After obtaining the birthright from Esau, Jacob deceitfully sought the approval of his father. Rebekah, his mother, helped him obtain the blessing of his father by pretending to be Esau. (Read the account in Genesis 27). Both Jacob and Esau longed for the blessing of their father; Jacob obtained this approval with trickery. Leaders often fall into the trap of seeking the approval of others. When this is a primary motive of leaders, they may use any means to get affirmation. Servant leaders learn to get approval from their heavenly Father instead of looking to others for approval.
Jacob limped towards leadership by seeking achievement.
Like many leaders, Jacob worked hard for success, depending on his own strength. After he was married and had worked for his father-in-law for 20 years he had obtained great wealth. By many standards at that point, he was successful. The account of his story clearly indicates that it was God’s work in his life which produced these results. Jacob did acknowledge God’s help but his statement to his wives reveals that he saw his own strength as the primary source of his success. He said to them, “You know that I've worked for your father with all my strength (Genesis 31:6, underlining mine). Many leaders limp towards success by striving to do all they can for themselves. They work hard and take all the credit for their accomplishments. Servant leaders seek to achieve great things for God but they acknowledge that they are dependent on Him for any success. They realize that God can multiply the results of their effort and that working harder does not always produce greater achievement.
Jacob was limping along on his own. He had a measure of authority and had received the blessing of his father, both through deceit. He had all the marks of a high achiever. What did Jacob obtain for this limping towards leadership? A broken relationship with his brother, separation from his parents, tension with his father-in-law, and sleepless nights. This kind of limping didn’t work well for Jacob and still doesn’t help leaders today! We’ll look next at the event that changed Jacob from limping towards leadership to leading with a limp.
For further reflection and discussion:
- In what ways do I desire authority or position? Have I taken advantage of anyone to get where I am today as a leader? Have I taken any shortcuts to gain power over others? If so, what do I need to do today to correct the past?
- Where do I find approval? Do I seek approval from a parent? From those who are under my leadership? From those who are in positions of authority over me? What is the result in my leadership? To what extent does my approval come from my relationship with my heavenly Father? How can I grow in receiving His approval?
- How do I measure success in my leadership? Is it by what I have acquired? Has my desire for achievement led me to damage relationships with other persons? To what extent am I able to acknowledge God’s role in my achievements?