The Confident and Humble Leader

In the Old Testament, King David epitomized the confident and humble leader. He faced the fiercest of foes with a confidence envied by others. When confronted with the challenge of the veteran warrior-giant Goliath, David quickly volunteered to meet him in battle. He trusted in the God who would not be mocked and who had enabled him to take on lions and bears with success (1 Samuel 17). Yet he had a heart humble enough to repent with genuine sorrow when shown his guilt (Psalm 51). With confidence and humility, King David became the greatest leader of the nation of Israel.

On the other hand, David's grandson exhibited the unattractive qualities of insecurity and pride. Facing the challenge of governing a population seeking relief from oppressive government policies, King Rehoboam felt threatened. In his proud desire to outdo his father, Rehoboam promised to be even more oppressive (1 Kings 12). In his insecurity and pride, King Rehoboam destroyed the united kingdom of Israel and became one of the greatest failures in the nation's history.

In the church, God wants leaders of humility. "(The overseer) must not be a recent convert, or he may become conceited and fall under the same condemnation as the devil" (1 Timothy 3:6). Hopefully, godly men grow increasingly humble as they face the challenges of living by faith and raising a family.

At the same time, God wants leaders with confidence. An elder of the church must be confident enough to "refute those who oppose (sound doctrine)" (Titus 1:9). He must not be so insecure that he will passively allow others under his care to be harmed.

May God continue to provide his church with confident and humble leaders.