Thursday Thought -- January 12, 2012

Good Morning Friends,

“‘Does it make you a king to have more and more cedar?  Did not your father have food and drink?  He did what was right and just, so all went well with him.  He defended the cause of the poor and needy, and so all went well.  Is that not what it means to know me?’ declares the LORD.  ‘But your eyes and your heart are set only on dishonest gain, on shedding innocent blood and on oppression and extortion.’” (Jeremiah 22:15-17)

By what criteria should we judge a king?  Obviously, Americans don’t live in a land with a king.  Instead, we have a president, governors and other elected officials.  But I would think that the same criteria for judging their leadership would apply.  What makes a leader a good leader – that’s the question?

There are ways the world judges a man’s power, position, and value.  The question in Jeremiah’s day was, “How much cedar does a king have?”  That question about a king’s material wealth, the grandeur of his palace and the other buildings by which the king is known.  Wealth, titles, the ability to command others, the ability to get things done, the power of the king’s army … those are all criteria that are used to judge the success of a leader.

But none of those are God’s criteria – and none should be ours when we look at the success of a leader.

“He defended the cause of the poor and needy.”  That’s the criteria that Jeremiah sets forth as the criteria by which we should determine the success of a king – a leader.  That is what God has called all who know Him to be doing – and that is the charge that God has given to kings and presidents and governors.  Take care of those who cannot take of themselves – the defenseless, the poor, the widows, the disabled, the needy.

By that criteria – how is America doing?  How are our leaders doing the job that God has called them to do?  And how about you and me – are we fulfilling that aspect of God’s call on our lives?

His, by Grace,

Steve