TLS4: Leadership and Justice

Welcome to another week of the Transformation Leadership Series (TLS).

Today we will discuss LEADERSHIP and JUSTICE.

JESUS OUR PATTEN

Jesus Christ is the greatest transformational leader there ever was and that will ever be. If anyone aspires to lead, it is wise for them to pattern themselves after Jesus in every way. All leaders (Jesus included) by virtue of their leadership position(s) have commensurate seats / thrones of authority / leadership. When a person is sworn in as a substantive King, President, CEO, Pastor, Chairman, Minister etc., they are granted seats of honour or thrones.  The same thing happens when one gets born again into the Kingdom of God:

Ephesians 2:6 (Weymouth)  raised us with Him from the dead, and enthroned us with Him in the heavenly realms as being in Christ Jesus,

Other bible versions translated enthroned us as seated us. Elevation and leadership comes with thrones or seats of honour and authority. These earthly seats are simply shadows of heavenly realities. Seats of leadership on earth are either patterned after Jesus’ seat or that of his enemy.

FOUNDATION OF LEADERSHIP

God’s throne in the Old Covenant was described as a mercy seat. In the New Covenant, it is called the throne of Grace because He who sits upon it is known as the Spirit of Grace (Zec 12:10) who grants His followers mercy and grace to help in time of need (Heb 4:16).

A throne is a seat of honour occupied by anyone with a leadership mantle. This is why Fathers as leaders of their homes SIT at the head of the dining table (seat of honour) and Board Chairpersons SIT at the head of boardroom tables (seat of honour).

What is the foundation of God’s throne and by extension, what should be the foundation of any leadership throne on earth? Put differently, what gives thrones or seats of honour stability, establishment, grounding and permanence?

Psalm 89:14 (NIV) Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne; love and faithfulness go before you

Righteousness and justice gives God’s throne stability. They are the substructure upon which his government, governance and leadership is built. The foundation of any seat of leadership that has its author as God is righteousness and justice. Leaders must, thus, aim to have this same grounding for their leadership seats and styles.

The importance of righteousness and justice in establishing God’s government and leadership is further buttressed by:

Psalm 97:2 …righteousness and justice are the foundation of his throne.

Righteousness and justice have to do with the nature of God the King. God is righteous and just. What about the believer? God made him [Jesus], who had no sin, to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God (2 Corinthians 5:21.). God is righteous and so are his offspring. The nature of the occupant of a throne or seat of leadership determines how long that leader and their leadership will last.

LEADERSHIP AND CONSEQUENCES

Leadership involves a lot of decision-making. Justice has to do with how leaders arrive at decisions from their seats of leadership. What makes a leader established, stable and enduring is whether his or her decisions are founded upon and influenced by justice, fairness, right, rectitude etc. The spirit of a leader’s decisions and acts has an influence and consequence on his or her followers.

Proverbs 29:2,4,14

2When the righteous thrive, the people rejoice; when the wicked rule, the people groan. 4By justice a king gives a country stability, but those who are greedy for bribes tear it down. 14If a king judges the poor with fairness, his throne will be established forever.

When a leader is just and righteous in his or her decisions, his or her followers will rejoice. If the leader perverts justice by hemming in the righteous (Habakkuk 1:4), the consequence is that the leader’s sphere of influence (e.g. country, business, pastorate etc.) becomes unstable, unestablished, unsettled, invalidated and in danger of destruction.

Fairness establishes one’s seat of administration of leadership. Injustice and iniquity overthrows it.

Psalms 94:20 (AMPC)  Shall the throne of iniquity have fellowship with You–they who frame and hide their unrighteous doings under [the sacred name of] law?

In closing, transformational leaders must guard against injustice, iniquity and unrighteousness. Iniquity separates from Jesus Christ—the best example and fullest effulgence of  true Godly leadership.  

[scribd id=383061982 key=key-BCFMQnpFfy7jBfbwM0kQ mode=scroll]