“Let him who is in charge do it with zeal” (Romans 12:8).
Leader, head, guide – these words carry a profound significance that isn't immediately obvious. In Greek, the gift of leading is defined as "going ahead" or "standing before others." This gift, therefore, refers to the ability to go ahead. Not just to go ahead, but to be able to foresee.
It is human nature to want to rule over others and take control. But that is not the case in the Church; the Church consists mainly of ordinary people, and the gift is quite rare [Editor's note: Unfortunately, history has shown that abuse of power also occurs in the Church]. That is why it is so important that we value those who have the gift of leadership.
God's gift is always linked to a specific person. Behind every gift lie personal experiences, some struggle and formation, followed by maturity and perhaps even age. Note how respectfully the Apostle Paul writes: "If we have a ministry, let it be in serving" (Romans 12:7). That's a commandment!
When we talk about the gift of leadership, it most often encounters some kind of inner resistance. And not only in the person in charge, but also in those under their command. Why should someone else be a leader and I a subordinate? Why can someone else lead and I can't? But if it is a gift, God's grace will surely take care of it. There is one more "but": Whoever is in charge must be zealous.
The headman's task is to help those in need.
“And Moses was taught all the wisdom of the Egyptians and was powerful in speech and in deeds” (Acts 7:22). Acquiring wisdom is no easy feat. It requires serious self-discipline and tremendous inner effort. Moreover, Moses was very impetuous and ardent in his desire to liberate his people. The result was that he fled Egypt. He was so deeply immersed in Egyptian culture that when he found himself among the tribe of his future wife, he was seen as an Egyptian. He wore tattered and clearly unroyal clothing, but he was seen as an Egyptian. And therein lies a certain kind of praise. While other men were driving the women away from the well, he stood up for them. It was impressive. There before them stood a man of high moral character. It was obvious: Here he was, Moses, cultured, well-mannered, intelligent, and this was clearly not reflected in his material wealth.
He was 40 years old, and for the next 40 years he tended his father-in-law's sheep. The next time we encounter Moses in the Bible, he is 80 years old. And he is still tending sheep that didn't belong to him, which doesn't exactly seem impressive. Then God appears to him, and he has no doubt that it is God. "This Moses, whom they rejected, saying, 'Who appointed you ruler and judge?'—this Moses God sent as ruler and deliverer by the hand of the angel who appeared to him in the bush" (Acts 7:35).
God said to him, “Go, I will send you to Egypt.” Did Moses readily accept this? The lawgiver, the judge, the military leader, the thinker, the man who wrote the five books of the Torah, answered God, “Send someone else.” I want to point out the responsibility that rests on the shoulders of a leader. Moses realized that this burden had to be carried not only on his shoulders but also in his heart. And he began to doubt his own abilities.
“Now it happened that while he was on the road and stayed at an inn, the Lord met him and wanted to kill him” (Exodus 4:24). God wanted to put Moses between life and death so that he and his wife would understand the decision they had to make. If you think that being a leader is easy, that leading is simple, and that you don't need any special talent, then look at Moses' prayer (see Psalm 89) and how he understood his ministry. Read this psalm to understand the challenges faced by those who are leaders and have the gift of presiding.
Moses' word was highly valued; he was sought out for advice. As a leader, he helped the people in a very interesting way. He guided them. This makes the leader's purpose clear: to help those in need. But what guides him? By being a worker, he helps people. I want to emphasize that we are not talking about a leader as such, but a leader with the gift of service. And this is not someone who sits on some throne to exalt himself above others. He is not a ruler or commander, but an executor of God's will. A prime example of this is Gideon, the courageous and righteous judge of Israel. "Then the men of Israel said to Gideon, 'Rule over us—you and your son and your son's son, because you delivered us from the hand of the Midianites!' But Gideon said to them, 'I will not rule over you, nor will my son rule over you; the Lord will rule over you.'" (Judges 8:22-23).
A leader in the congregation has the task of facilitating the execution of all the congregation's ministries through their administration, that is, exercising a leading function over the members of the congregation. However, if there is only one officeholder in the congregation who possesses this gift, that is insufficient. It is beneficial if several members of the congregation have the same gift and the leader can rely on the advice of the members in certain situations.
A leader of the community is not a ruler or commander, but an executor of God's will.
Can women be leaders? Let's look at Queen Esther and her advisor Mordecai. As queen, she had no intention of becoming a leader; she had a very different role. She bravely stood in the crossfire for her people, who were to be destroyed by a wicked man. To fulfill her duties, she continued to listen to Mordecai's advice.
“And Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lapidoth, judged Israel at that time. […] And the Israelites came up to her to judge” (Judges 4:4-5). Deborah was a woman, a “mother of Israel,” who was highly respected. Did she have an inclination to rule? In the name of the Lord, she, as a prophetess, called upon Barak to lead the people. But Barak willingly submitted to her leadership and limited himself to the role of commander. And although Barak was a man who did not always take responsibility, Deborah tried to transfer that responsibility to him.
The image of Deborah persisted in Israel for a long time. Golda Meir, Israel's female prime minister, was extremely influential, successful, and popular. It was said that during meetings, the male advisors would sit around her while she sewed or embroidered, as if to emphasize that she was fulfilling a task not intended for a woman. She aspired to resemble the biblical figure of Deborah.
The supervisor I met and worked under had many problems with this position. It's in a woman's nature to be feminine and gentle. "Pleasant instruction is on her tongue" (Proverbs 31:26). And that was it! Commanding, distributing, leading, suppressing; these are not feminine qualities. I think there are also bossy women [Editor's note: ...and bossy men] in the church. The only question is whether this is a gift from God or whether we need to humble ourselves and recognize what the true gift is.
Those who not only possess the gift of leadership, but whose gift is also recognized by the congregation, have the responsibility to help the leadership not only understand the goal, but also achieve it, through effective counsel and guidance. This is how the great ministers of the Old and New Testaments did, making colossal decisions upon which the fate of humanity later depended.
The Apostle Peter was a simple man who led a small number of people compared to Moses, but compared to us, it was a huge congregation of ten thousand people. Before he went to Cornelius's house, God showed him a vision on the roof of the house where he was praying: "And a voice said to him, 'What God has cleansed, do not consider unclean'" (Acts 10:15). It may seem strange to us, but on that rooftop, the history of the church began. After the vision on the roof, God sent Peter to a Roman centurion who became a believer and was extended the hand of fellowship. The centurion was baptized and welcomed into the family of God, something that until then had been denied to people from other nations.
Peter made a decision that later had enormous consequences for the destinies of nations. Yet there were also times when he faltered. Paul then exhorted him to act in accordance with the truth. This shows that leading the church as God requires is a very serious task.
It may be difficult for us today to understand this struggle, but it is reality. A decision had to be made: law or grace? Should he go to the Gentiles or not? And fortunately, the apostles made the right decision. Sometimes deciding whether or not to go to the centurion seems like a small matter. But much depended on the vision and analysis of what they saw, and on the decision that was made. The decision made by Peter endured for centuries. He brought it before the council of apostles, elders, and church leaders. And it has never been debated since.
We should pray for those who serve. For those who lead, who guide the way, and whose advice and opinions we value. This doesn't mean we have to adopt everything verbatim, but it is very important for us to value their perspective.
The proof of a true gift is that one cares about God's work.
How does the ministry of a leader begin? David's ministry began with his victory over Goliath. Why did he fight the giant Goliath? Because he was consumed with zeal for the house of the Lord. He said, “You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the Lord Almighty” (1 Samuel 17:45).
In Nehemiah's time, a city without walls could not be a city, because it was unprotected from enemies. As the responsible leader, Nehemiah received God's commission to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem. He was not poor; he belonged to the influential figures who held a fairly high position in Babylon. But he wept, prayed, fasted, and mourned for several days because the city of Jerusalem was "in ruins and its gates were consumed by fire" (Neh 2:3).
The proof of a true gift is that one cares about God's work—a work in which he, too, had to participate. It may be that God had not yet revealed to Nehemiah exactly what he was to do. But that is precisely where the zeal for service begins.
What was important was that Nehemiah understood the problems and recognized what needed to be done to solve them; he was not a scribe who only prayed and fasted and did nothing else. Nehemiah asked the king for permission to leave his position and set out on the long journey from Babylon to Jerusalem. After spending three days there, he looked around, assessed the scope of the work, and outlined the tasks. And in all of this, Nehemiah recognized the task God had given him. “But the officials did not know where I had gone or what I had done, because until then I had not said anything to the Jews or the priests or the chief officers or the others who were working on the project” (Neh 2:16).
Nehemiah clearly sensed what God was laying on his heart and understood it. A leader doesn't work with objects that exist only in his mind. First and foremost, a leader is a person who works with people, and people are diverse. And it's necessary not to lead those who are in his thoughts, but those whom God entrusts to him.
Nehemiah was such a leader, who knew when and what to say, which words encouraged and strengthened, and when it was better to remain silent. After scouting the area, he told the few men with him about God's gracious hand and the words of the king that he had spoken. And they said, "Let us arise and build!" And they strengthened their hands for the good work (Neh 2:18).
I would like to point out another aspect inherent in leaders: their sense of timing. Whatever the reason, something must be done now, not because there won't be time tomorrow.
Nehemiah was not only able to utilize the available workforce effectively, but he could also precisely calculate what materials he needed and in what quantities. He knew how to draft the necessary documents. He deployed the workers appropriately, provided them with everything they required, and each one was dedicated to fulfilling their assigned task. In other words, the leader had a clear plan. All those involved in God's work were filled with a certain inspiration, which was transmitted to them by their leader. He didn't inspire them for a minute or a few days, but to accomplish their task.
The leader is a human being like any other; he needs the support and prayers of the people.
And then some began to plot. This region had its own ruler, appointed by the king of Babylon. It wasn't a major rebellion, but they were plotting to do harm. They demanded a meeting with Nehemiah. Nehemiah answered them, “I have a great work to do, so I cannot go down. Why should the work stop if I leave it and come down to you?” (Neh 6:3). Nehemiah felt that God had entrusted him with something more important than something as trivial as a minor dispute.
In every task, there is always someone who is more successful and someone who is less so. Therefore, the one who bears the responsibility must have a sense of justice. When there was "a great grumbling among the people," Nehemiah listened to those who were offended. His heart was indignant, and he reprimanded the leaders severely, for they all had a common task to perform. He called a large assembly and urged them to act in such a way that some did not suffer while others benefited. When it comes to a common cause, a balance of justice must be maintained. A very important quality of a leader is to be both empathetic and just.
Nehemiah himself was not a poor man; that is, he was blessed not only with power but also with wealth. He was careful not to burden others and he made sure that others did not do so.
Once a sister told me I shouldn't prevent others from serving me. I thought, as soon as you start not preventing others from serving you, you quickly become arrogant and completely useless for God's work. Wherever I could, like Nehemiah, I didn't want to be a burden to God's people. Wherever possible, I wanted to be a servant of God, that is, a servant of righteousness.
Finally, I would like to add that a leader who has the gift of ministry does not cling to authority. He must do the work God has assigned him. When the walls of Jerusalem were rebuilt, Nehemiah restored the ministries of the priests and Levites, placing each in his work, organizing the work of the others, giving instructions, and entrusting them with this authority.
Another example of wise leadership is David. As he grew old and saw what was happening between his sons, he realized he couldn't let the situation stand. He made Solomon king while he was still alive and used his authority, strength, and power. He stepped aside and took care of the task God had placed on his heart. While King Solomon was still weak and frail, he gathered the elders and appointed them to assist the king in leading the people.
A leader is a human being like everyone else; they need the support and prayers of their people. For a person with the gift of leadership must be attentive, able to recognize those suited for the task, and capable of setting them a concrete goal. If a captain with a pessimistic outlook is at the helm of a ship, is it likely the crew will begin to mutter and doubt whether they've sailed to the wrong place? Therefore, the leader must be cheerful, determined, and earnest. They must set holistic goals, and their team members must be enthusiastic about the process of achieving those goals.
We must value our servants. Leaders should not evoke negative feelings in us. We should be clear that they do not make the congregation members subordinates, but that by God's grace they are bearers of the gift of service and serve us with this gift.
Leonid Odessky
community in Tel Aviv