Title: Three Attitudes of a Good Leader
Exodus (46) The three attitudes of a good leader
(Exodus 18:1-12)
1. Be humble to the end
Upon hearing that Moses had brought the Israelites out of Egypt, Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, brought Moses' wife Zipporah and his two sons, Gershom and Eleezer (verses 1-3). Then Moses met his father-in-law and bowed down, kissed him and greeted him, and then went into the tent with him (verse 7). Although he became a powerful leader of the two million Israelites, Moses humbly greeted his father-in-law Jethro with the greatest kindness, respect, and joy.
In general, people tend to become arrogant when they rise to a high position, but Moses did not lose his humility even when he rose to a high position. He did not lose his humility, and 40 years of training in the wilderness also played a big role. The work of God's grace does not follow 'time', but usually follows 'attitude'. It is not important to believe in 20 years, but it is important to have an attitude that prepares for a deep encounter with God.
2. Exalt God
As the family met and talked, Moses vividly testified to his father-in-law about all the events of the Exodus that had taken place (verse 8). We learn the principle of testimony through the way we testify. Then Moses testified of the greatness of God. The most wonderful testimony is one that reveals only the greatness of God. If you exalt God, your self will be exalted, but if you exalt yourself, you will be humbled.
In 1 Samuel 2:30, we find these words of God. “Whoever honors me I will honor, and those who despise me I will despise.” Psalm 91:14 also says this. “He said, ‘Because he loves me, I will deliver him; and he will know my name, and I will exalt him.”
Why are Sunday holy water and early morning prayer the source of amazing blessings? Because it is the most basic act that exalts God. No matter what happens, if you glorify God, love God, and pray, God will surely take care of him. Sometimes we fall into difficulties because of exalting God, but God strengthens our position as a leader after the difficult work.
3. Show it with your life
Hearing the testimony of Moses, Jethro praised the God of salvation (verses 9-10). Jethro was a priest in Midian. Hearing Moses' testimony, he got out of the stage of knowing God only intellectually and gave thanks, praise and glory to God and confessed his faith. “Now I know! The LORD is greater than all gods, and he has overcome those who behaved proudly toward Israel (v. 11). And when Jethro brought burnt offerings and sacrifices to God, Aaron and all the elders of Israel came and ate bread with Jethro before God (verse 12).
This scene raises the question of how Jethro, a Gentile priest, could have faith in Jehovah God so easily. It is probably because of the religious influences I received from Moses during my 40 years of living with Moses in the past. Jethro, who had received so many influences and had little reaction, finally said, “Now I know that the Lord is greater than all gods.” If you look at Jethro's confession, you can guess how much Moses usually lived a life that a father-in-law would recognize.
Be excellent in your faith and at the same time excel in “showing your faith through your life.” Complete faith must be the foundation, but mobilize your best sweat on that belief. If you have faith and stay still, you will be in a war with Satan. Therefore, always face problems with a positive attitude. No matter how difficult the situation, sit still and do not let it happen. Dreams and visions are also realized by those who actively act.
There are two extreme biases when it comes to sweat. One is excessive trust in sweat. Sweat, but don't rely too much on sweat. Another is to ignore sweat altogether. There are people who say that God will do everything, so what kind of sweat do you need to shed? That's a very bad idea. God knows everything and can solve everything, but in the end, the blessing of a leader is given to those who do their best to fulfill the roles that are required of them before that.