"IN those days there was no king in Israel; EVERYONE DID WHAT WAS RIGHT in HIS OWN EYES."
Judges 21:25 (NKJV)
• When there is no central government in a place, people tend to do whatever seems right in their sight (Judges 17:6; 21:25).
- God's system of government is theocracy, in which He rules through a leader appointed by Him.
- Joshua did not raise any successor as Moses did before he died. Thus, there was a vacuum in the leadership, and the people of Israel started misbehaving, they did whatever seemed good in their sight.
15 Then Moses spoke to the Lord, saying: 16 “Let the Lord, the God of the spirits of all flesh, SET A MAN OVER THE CONGREGATION, 17 who may go out before them and go in before them, who may lead them out and bring them in, that the congregation of the Lord MAY NOT BE LIKE SHEEP WHICH HAVE NO SHEPHERD.”
18 And the Lord said to Moses: “TAKE JOSHUA THE SON OF NUN WITH YOU, a man in whom is the Spirit, and lay your hand on him;
19 set him before Eleazar the priest and before all the congregation, AND INAUGURATE HIM IN THEIR SIGHT.
20 AND YOU SHALL GIVE SOME OF YOUR AUTHORITY TO HIM, that all the congregation of the children of Israel may be obedient.
21 He shall stand before Eleazar the priest, who shall inquire before the Lord for him by the judgment of the Urim. At his word they shall go out, and at his word they shall come in, he and all the children of Israel with him—all the congregation.”
22 So Moses did as the Lord commanded him. He took Joshua and set him before Eleazar the priest and before all the congregation.
23 AND HE [Moses] LAID HIS HANDS ON HIM [Joshua] AND INAUGURATED HIM, just as the Lord commanded by the hand of Moses."
Numbers 27:15-23 (NKJV)
• Note: A leader should endeavour to raise other leaders who will take over from him or her, in order to perpetuate the vision given to them—the work which he or she started (Numbers 27:15-23).
- Considering how Moses did it, that is, how he went by it—about choosing the person who will succeed him.
- He started by praying on it, to know the person that would be considered, and be chosen or appointed for the assignment.
- In other words, prayer plays a significant role, in knowing and choosing the right person who will take over from you.
- If a leader does not raise who will take over from him or her, when they departed from the earth, someone who seems to be bold among those who are following him may take over, or hijack, the leadership position.
a. And in most cases, such a person might not be the most suitable or qualified person.
b. Such also might not be the God-ordained person. Such has taken over the leadership position because of the circumstances
• As you progress in your ministry leadership assignment, endeavour to pray and know the person and the people which God would want to be chosen As your successors.
a. Tame some of those who are following as crowds presently, those who have shown some leadership qualities and traits among them.
b. Train them as those who will perpetuate your vision, run with it—even when you will no longer be on planet earth. Someone says success without a successor is a failure!
- The Book of Judges could be considered the Book of failures. Those recorded in the Book, who came up to Leadership, did, through circumstances.
- A good number of them did not prepare for leadership. It was like survival of the fittest! If you had the power and courage or boldness to lead people at the time of distress, you become their leader—circumstancial leadership.
• Those whom you have chosen who have shown the leadership traits: you train formally and informally.
- You have to believe in those whom you want to train and put to work, and always tell them they are able to do it.
- People under your leadership, would not be able to perform beyond your expectations, the belief and the trust, you have in them.
- They need your affirmation and encouragement. Tell them always they can do it, especially the introverted ones among them. These introverted ones might have the Potentials, but they always have the sense of inadequacies, they are crowd-shy people, who would not want to be noticed.
- Paul admonishes Timothy who has problem with timidity:
"FOR GOD HAS NOT GIVEN US A SPIRIT OF FEAR AND TIMIDITY, BUT of power, love, and self-discipline" (2 Timothy 1:7 NLT). - You may need to do the same for those who are battling with the sense of inadequacies.
- Now, some basic traits that would be found in such potential leaders are; punctuality, consistency, and faithfulness among others.
(i) You teach them the core of the Vision given to you by God.
(ii) You teach them what you know, your experiences in the work (2 Timothy 2:2). If they do know what you know, about the work, they tend to do it better—efficiently. Because they would have known the importance of what they are doing, through the teaching and training exercise.
(iii) You teach them the nitty-gritty of the work—ministry leadership. Let the teaching be systematic and progressive. It should be a Training that is done periodically, a kind of, on-the-job Training.
(iv) You give them the opportunity to serve, in order to put to work, practice, whatever you have taught them. This is informal training—the practical aspect of the classroom work.
(v) You test them before you put them to work, that is, before you assigned them to work: "BUT LET THESE ALSO FIRST BE TESTED; THEN LET THEM SERVE AS DEACONS [leaders or workers in the vineyard of God], being found blameless" (1 Timothy 3:10 NKJV).
• You will do well to pay attention to what we have shared in this piece, especially if you are the founding minister—one who pioneered the work. - Remember, those whom you train are the ones who will run with your vision and perpetuate it:
"Then the Lord answered me and said: “WRITE THE VISION And make it plain on tablets, THAT HE MAY RUN WHO READS IT" (Habakkuk 2:2 (NKJV).
"THE Lord answered ME: “WRITE DOWN THE VISION; write it ·clearly [plainly] on clay tablets so WHOEVER READS IT CAN RUN TO TELL OTHERS."
Habakkuk 2:2 (Expanded Bible)
"And the Lord said to me, “WRITE MY ANSWER ON A BILLBOARD, LARGE AND CLEAR, so that anyone can read it at a glance AND RUSH TO TELL THE OTHERS."
Habakkuk 2:2 (Living Bible)
• The disciples who were trained by the Lord Jesus Christ, were the ones who continued or perpetuated the work which He started in His earthly ministry (Acts 2:40-47; 4:32,33; 11:19-21).
- If a wrong person should take over your work, your ministry, after you have departed from the Planet earth, it would be disastrous and calamitous.
- Such would not be able to perpetuate the work, and your labour of many years would just go down the drain.
• You will not fail in Jesus' name.
Peace!