Issue #49, February 9, 2011
Moses’ first recorded leadership act was a disaster! One day, after Moses had grown up, he went out to where his own people were and watched them at their hard labor. He saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew, one of his own people. Glancing this way and that and seeing no one, he killed the Egyptian and hid him in the sand. (Exodus 2:11-12)
Perhaps Moses already knew that God had called him to rescue His people. At least his heart motive was to bring change, to set right the injustice he saw and to see an end to the suffering of his people. He thought his people would recognize his call to lead but they didn’t. His action was decisive but he chose the wrong time and method. The result was that he had to flee for his life and spend 40 years in the desert before he was ready to try again. There are at least three ways that Moses’ first attempts at leadership were not acts of a servant leader.
Moses acted independently.
At this point in his life, Moses was ready to be the hero that single handedly rescued his people. He had not yet learned the value of a team or what it means to work under authority. Moses must have imagined that it was going to be his effort and ability that would accomplish the task. But servant leadership is about working with and through people, not being a solitary hero. Servant leaders learn that leadership is not about them, their vision and their ability as much as it is about learning to hear what God wants and moving people in that direction. Servant leaders are called to act, but they are not called to act independently of God’s direction and the counsel of a wise team.
Moses acted impulsively.
Moses saw the situation, made a decision to get involved and killed the Egyptian in what appears to be a very short time. Leaders are oriented towards action; they want change and often want it now! But impulsive acts are often more destructive than helpful. Servant leaders are not only looking for action, but seeking the right action. They are willing to seek counsel and pray for wisdom before acting. They exhibit self-control, a fruit of the Spirit. They are action oriented but not impulsive.
Moses acted secretly.
Before he killed the Egyptian Moses looked around to ensure that no one was looking. Afterward, he used sand to cover what he had done. He knew it was wrong! Of course, he could rationalize it because of his good motives but when your leadership act needs to be followed by a cover-up, reconsider! Servant leaders walk in openness and transparency. They are not making deals under the table or in dark corners. The goal for servant leaders is never to do anything that they would be ashamed to find on the front page of tomorrow’s newspaper.
Moses tried hard, but he wasn’t yet ready for the challenge of servant leadership. God would need to take him to the desert for the next level of leadership development and in our next issue we’ll examine that time. But thank God that Moses’ failed first attempts at leadership did not keep God from using him. Likewise, our first attempts at leadership do not need to be our final ones! God is merciful and still had a plan to use Moses and to continue shaping our leadership as well.
The background reading for this issue is: Exodus 2:11-15 and Acts 7:22-29.
For further reflection and discussion:
- Are there areas in my leadership in which I am acting independently of others? Independently of God?
- When in my leadership have I acted impulsively? What was the result and what can I learn from that mistake?
- To what extent is my leadership characterized by self-control? How can I allow God’s Spirit to develop more self-control in my life? (See Galatians 5:22-23)
- Have I made any decisions or taken any actions in the past week that I don’t want others to know about? Is there anything I am currently doing which would bring shame to the cause of Christ if it were publicized in tomorrow’s newspaper?