God has ordained an order in His kingdom, and that kingdom is to be mirrored in His creation. Part of His order is to call out leaders to lead others.
God gives some the responsibility and authority to lead others. And these leaders are to lead. If they are placed in this position, they are responsible to not merely point the way but to lead the way, under the authority and direction of God Himself.
But how do they fulfill this daunting task? Moses and Aaron, leading millions of their Hebrew countrymen out of Egypt and toward their Promised Land, gives us a model:
Moses and Aaron went into the tent of meeting. When they came out and blessed the people, the glory of the LORD appeared to all the people. Then fire came out from before the LORD and consumed the burnt offering and the portions of fat on the altar; and when all the people saw it, they shouted and fell on their faces (Leviticus 9:23-24 NASB).
Leaders Must Meet with God
If a leader is to lead without God’s initiation and direction, there’s no need to meet with God. But the humanistic leadership that results from such God-less living is disastrous. It is the best man can do, but God is left out of the equation.
The greatest responsibility of a leader is to enter the “tent of meeting” with God and receive instructions there through God’s Word and prayer. In this way, the leader is literally allowing God to lead those under his care. The leader is merely the conduit for this direction.
Leaders Reflect God’s Glory
After these two leaders met with God—and BECAUSE they met with God—their lives reflected the “glory of God.” It was visible to the average person, what it looked like when one had been in God’s presence.
This has all kinds of spiritual ramifications. But it was obvious that Moses and Aaron had encountered God.
This witness was a testimony to the people of the reality of God and the power of God. It made them want these same experiences of God’s presence. And this manifested glory is the leader’s greatest tool to lead others.
Leaders Create Environments for God to Come
Moses and Aaron had done just as God said, preparing the place for His presence. “Then fire came out from before the LORD” and dealt with the offering, and the result was, “when all the people saw it, they shouted and fell on their faces.” They worshiped. They had been led, by their leaders, to God.
Real leaders understand that they must meet with God, but so must those they lead. Their one job is to so cooperate with God that He has the freedom to manifest Himself in obvious ways to those who follow.
The greatest gift any leader can give others is to lead them into practical experiences with the Almighty.