And when [Manasseh] prayed to him, the Lord was moved by his entreaty and listened to his plea; so he brought him back to Jerusalem and to his kingdom. Then Manasseh knew that the Lord is God. (2 Chronicles 33:13)
Throughout the Old Testament the lives of many kings are recounted for us, and the level of their humility plays a role in how well each king is remembered. However, it was not just humility that made a king great – it was humility before the Lord. There’s a difference between simply not thinking too highly of yourself and humbling yourself before the Lord. Both are important, but the kings of Israel whom the Lord blessed to the highest degree were those who humbled themselves before Him. After all, the kings were serving God’s people, and they were simply given stewardship over the them for a brief period of history.
It can be very easy in leadership to get a big head about what you’ve accomplished or the number of people you’re leading, but the wise leader realizes that God is the One in control, and He can take away the opportunity to lead in a matter of moments.
Leadership is a privilege bestowed upon the one leading, and it is the leader’s responsibility to lead wisely in a way that brings glory to God.
The one who is humble before God isn’t afraid of passing glory on to Him anyway. Are you a leader? If so, are you humble before the Lord? If your name were written in the account of the kings of Israel, how would you have been remembered?
Father, I want to be a leader who is humble before You. Please keep me from allowing any selfishness or pride to get in the way of me serving You the best that I can.
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