Leadership is important. The strength and effectiveness of any organization will largely be determined by the strength and skill of its leader. Teams with great coaches tend to excel and companies with great CEO’s more often than not provide good products and services. And because leadership is so important there is a large focus in our society on becoming a leader and developing leadership skills.
As members of the family of God we also may find ourselves in leadership positions in our jobs, schools, churches and homes. But before we can be any kind of effective leader in whatever position we are in we must first learn to be a great follower.
How can a young person stay on the path of purity?
By living according to your word.
I seek you with all my heart;
do not let me stray from your commands.
I have hidden your word in my heart
that I might not sin against you.
Praise be to you, Lord;
teach me your decrees.
With my lips I recount
all the laws that come from your mouth.
I rejoice in following your statutes
as one rejoices in great riches.
I meditate on your precepts
and consider your ways.
I delight in your decrees;
I will not neglect your word. Psalm 119:9-16 (NIV)
Psalm 119 is the longest chapter in the Bible. In the NASB version it is called “Meditations and Prayers Relating to the Law of God” and the writer comes over and over again to the idea of knowing God’s word and seeking God with all of his heart. These two ideas are not only integral to Psalm 119 but also to anyone who wants to be a great follower of God. Indeed, they are the foundation on which a joyful and blessed life of faith can be laid.
In Psalm 119, the emphasis first and foremost is on knowing God’s word. Likewise, this is where we must begin as well. We can’t follow what we do not know and we can’t remember and meditate on that which we have not learned. The Psalmist says he has hidden God’s word in his heart so that he might not sin against God and this means that he has studied it, thought about it, meditated on it and taken it in to be part of his character and lifestyle. It isn’t just a collection of rules to which he pays lip service but a deep, abiding conviction and a roadmap for living.
Now that the Psalmist has dedicated himself to learning and keeping God’s word he has decided to seek God with all of his heart. Amazingly and consistently the outcome of getting to know God’s word is always a person who wants to seek God with his or her whole heart. God’s word always points people to God the person and to that blessed relationship between us and our Creator. Therefore, becoming a great follower is all about recognizing who God is through his word and what our place is in his divine plan.
Once we have committed ourselves to becoming a great follower of God then and only then can we become a great leader; one who leads people to Jesus and points the way to reconciliation and to the good news that God so loves the world.