‘The Fear of the Lord’ Type of Leadership

How does the fear of the Lord influence our behaviour? It probably leads us to pray, read our Bibles, go to church, and serve in church. Hopefully, it also causes us to give generously, love our neighbour, and try to be the very best spouse, friend, parent, child, or member of society we can be.

Today we learn from Nehemiah that the fear of the Lord should also impact our leadership style. The fear of the Lord ought to make us behave differently from our (ungodly) predecessors. Those who experience our leadership style, should feel that we are a different kind of leader because of our fear of the Lord. This should not be limited to evangelism but also encompass, as was in the case of Nehemiah, practical differences in our behaviour that lead us to respect the people we are leading. The fear of the Lord will cause us not to want to manipulate or exploit the people we lead. It will want us to reflect on the plight of those we are leading and to reverse any injustice they have faced at the hands of bad leadership. The fear of the Lord will lead us to be active and not passive leaders.

Questions for reflection: Does the fear of the Lord influence my leadership style? Are there practical differences between my leadership and the leader before me that can be attributed to my fear of the Lord? Do I respect the people I am leading because I fear the Lord? Do I need to repent in this area? Have I prayed for the help of the Holy Spirit in my leadership?