"And he said to them, 'Look at me and do likewise;
watch, and when I come to the edge of the camp you shall do as I do.'"
Judges 7:17
There is a definite need for spiritual leadership today. This need is literally found in every facet of our lives. Our homes need true leadership. Men need to step up and be the spiritual leaders that God has called them to be. Ladies need to be the examples of godliness for our future generations. Parents need to realize that in order for their children to follow Christ they are going to have to give them a pattern to follow. We need leaders in the church. God gives us each a special role to play in the body of Christ, and we need to take those responsibilities seriously. We need leaders among our young people. Teenagers and college students must recognize that especially in their youth there is a need for them to show others the right way, the way of Christ. We also need spiritual leaders in our places of business. The greatest lessons of ethics are taught in the Word of God, and we must learn them to show those with whom we deal every day how to live like Christ.
Gideon had been given a seemingly impossible task. He had to take an army of 300 men and defeat the mighty Midianites. He and his men were in every way outnumbered. There was no humanly possible way for victory. This is exactly what God intended. When we think of being leaders in this world, it can seem like the task is as great now as it was for Gideon then. I am sure that Gideon was completely overwhelmed. Yet, in our passage above he was telling the men to follow him and do exactly as he did. That sounds pretty confident! Where did this confidence come from? Gideon was following the directions of God, and He knew that God was not going to fail him. Therefore, because he was following God, he could feel confident to tell others to follow him. That is the key to spiritual leadership. Some seem to think that leadership is making all of the decisions yourself and then coercing or demanding people to follow you. That may be the way the world leads, but that is not the pattern that Christ lays out for us in Scripture. We will never become great leaders until we learn to become great followers. Our ability to lead people depends solely on our ability to follow Christ. When we are following the Lord with our heart, soul, and mind, we can then be sure that the direction that we are going is right.
Gideon's 300 did follow him even though his plan seemed wildly absurd. They won the battle in the most incredible fashion. They better than anyone knew that day that Gideon followed God, and they benefited from following God's leader. Be a devoted follower of Christ so that you may spiritually lead others into battle.
May you follow Christ today so that you may lead others tomorrow!
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