Can we help? PASTOR & MRS BANDA
Dear Raphael and Namukolo,
Since we will soon be voting to choose national leaders at different levels, does the bible give us guidelines we can use to identify a good leader? Patriot.
Dear Patriot,
The Bible in a number of places gives the qualities or qualifications that we should look for in people who are going to be leaders in different sectors of our community. For example:
•Deuteronomy 17 gives the requirements for one who was to become king in the nation of Israel. Deuteronomy 17:14-15 NIV When you enter the land the LORD your God is giving you and have taken possession of it and settled in it, and you say, Let us set a king over us like all the nations around us, (15) be sure to appoint over you the king the LORD your God chooses. He must be from among your own brothers. Do not place a foreigner over you, one who is not a brother Israelite.
•1 Timothy 3 gives the qualifications for one who is to serve as a church leader. 1Ti 3:1-5 ESV The saying is trustworthy: If anyone aspires to the office of overseer, he desires a noble task. (2) Therefore an overseer must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, sober-minded, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, (3) not a drunkard, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. (4) He must manage his own household well, with all dignity keeping his children submissive, (5) for if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he care for God’s church?
• Ephesians 5 gives the requirements for the husbands who are the heads of the family. Eph 5:25 ESV Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her,
Drawing principles from all these scriptures we have come up with 10 characteristics which we must look for in the person who aspires to become a leader in our country. Most of these characteristics can be discovered by digging into the past and present lives of our leadership candidates and not only by listening to them.
1. Personal attributes: They must be:
a. Hardworking – not given to a life of excessive leisure and pleasure
b. Morally upright with no track record of scandals
c. Sober, not given to exce ssive intake of alcohol
d.Self-controlled, they are able to control their temper and all other appetites
e. Truthful, not given to telling lies
f.Full of integrity
2. Domestic attributes: They must:
a.Be married to and faithful to one partner
b. Manage their homes well
c. Not be guilty of mistreating their spouses/ children/ dependents or workers
3. Inter-personal relationships: In dealing with other human beings they must:
a. Be respectful and diplomatic
b. Show tolerance – especially towards those who differ with them
c. Not be abusive or insulting or violent. They must consistently denounce violence even in their own rank and file.
d. Not be quarrelsome
4. Governance attributes: They must:
a. Have a track record of good governance in their past and present careers
b. Not be guilty of having dictatorial tendencies
5. Financial management: With regards to money and wealth they:
a. Must not be guilty of acquiring any money or wealth through dubious means
b. Must be disciplined in the se of public or corporate resources
6. Spiritual Attributes: With r gards to religion:
a. They must have very clear beliefs and convictions about God and religion in general
b. And they must be committed to upholding the freedom of worship in the country
c. They must clearly stand against anything that goes against the teachings of the bible and the Christian faith.
7. Citizenship: Not only must they be Zambian citizens, but they must be such citizens as have spent most of their time in the country and will therefore be patriotic and will fully understand the real state and plight of the common man and the nation as a whole.
8. Visionary: They must have the ability to think and plan for the future of the country.
9. Innovative: They must be able to move the country to a higher level of development by introducing new ways of thinking and doing business.
10. Highly principled: The bible teaches us to let our yes be yes and our no be no. A leader must not be guilty of continuously changing positions on the same issue. They must speak and operate from deep conviction and principle. If they do change positions, they must have the integrity to admit they have changed instead of claiming they were misquoted!
Applying these principles should assist us in choosing the right leaders come election day.
RELATIONSHIP TIP
There is absolutely no reason to tell lies to your partner.
For comments or questions, please send to raphaelandnamukolo@ gmail.com or pchilufya@ daily-mail.co.zm