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Enjoy Life, Enjoy God


Dale Patterson

LEADER

November 11, 2010

To be a leader is to be second-guessed, judged, even ridiculed. Whether you agree with the President, Obama, Bush, Clinton, it is more than fashionable for the people always to be criticizing, grumbling. In the week of a football coach's firing, a week after the President's party is second-guessed at the ballot box, and a former President publishes a book of explanations, maybe Christians could ponder their leaders a bit.

And the Lord said to Joshua, "Today I will begin to exalt you in the eyes of all Israel, so they may know that I am with you as I was with Moses."
- Joshua 3:7 TNIV

Moses had just died. Moses had been second-guessed and grumbled about throughout his leadership. Now Joshua is in charge. God promises to exalt Joshua, meaning it will be clear that Joshua is in charge, clear that he is Moses' successor. As we read on however, we learn that the second-guessing and the grumbling are not gone in spite of exaltation.

To be sure, leaders should not be above helpful critique. But what if we prayed for our leaders, all of them, rather than spending so much energy grumbling and fault-finding? Might it be the way of Christ?

Joyfully,

Dale Patterson