The thought of leadership and power often creates the temptation to use that power inappropriately.

It is tragic to read or hear of men who succumb to immorality or unethical business practices. In a moment of poor judgment their power is abused and character destroyed.

Consider the awesome God we serve.

Practice His presence… ALWAYS!

Remember that any leadership position was given by God.

Develop an open door policy.

Never say or do anything we would not do in our wife’s presence.

Pray… without ceasing.

Perhaps these few suggestions will help us understand the proper use of the power entrusted to us by God.

We live in a world where we generally communicate with the use of words. Interestingly, what we hear and read is often presented with an incredible, spectacular, and unbelievable multiplicity of adjectives.

What adjective would we use to describe our leadership?

Godly! Spiritual! Righteous! Knowledgeable! Patient! Compassionate! Faithful!

Such descriptive terms have a nice ring. Today, let us strive to lead others in a manner that is described biblically.

Leadership has its challenges, from personal to professional. However, the benefits of spiritual leadership far outweigh the challenges. Consider four lessons behind the mountain top leadership associated with the life of Elijah.

1) Elijah was God’s man. As such, his message only came from God.

2) Elijah was unrelenting when it came to making a choice. Neutrality was not an option.

3) Elijah knew his God, which translated into reliance and confidence.

4) Elijah understood the need to eradicate the influence of evil.

These lessons stand as an example of the mountain top leadership needed today as we strive to honor God and change the world with the power of His word.

Where do we focus our attention? What purpose drives us as leaders? We can easily get distracted and lose focus and forget our purpose.

There are times we spend too much energy putting out “brush fires” and lose sight of the goal. We must remember, and followers need to be reminded of, our purpose.

Be driven by it.

Determine to succeed.

Establish unity in the work.

Promote it at every opportunity.

Never quit.

Impossibilities disappear when we are driven by purpose, especially when that purpose has a godly foundation.

Before we speak, before we write, before we act, think first. Two words. Simple enough to say and so difficult to follow.

We live in a reactionary world. We tend to react to our circumstances. Life deals an unfair hand and we react. Someone speaks inappropriately and we react. Others take advantage of us and we react.

Leaders must learn how to act. If we can stop the reaction through our words and actions, then maybe, just maybe, the fallout can be prevented.

The only way to learn this lesson is to “think first.”

Satan carries many tools in his arsenal, all designed to distract leaders from the great task before them.

Nothing seems more distracting than discouragement. Nehemiah would not allow any amount of discouragement, abuse, or intimidation to distract him from completing the work.

The devil seeks to discourage us, ultimately causing us to give up.

We are “doing a great work and [we] cannot come down. Why should the work stop while [we] leave it and come down to you?” (Neh. 6:3)

Fight the urge! Stay the course! Do not be distracted! Do not give the devil opportunity!

Think about restaurants, from fast-food to upscale specialty service. Consider educational institutions, from community colleges to Ivy-league universities. There is a difference.

The same is true in leadership. We have seen it politically, corporately, educationally, and spiritually. There is a difference.

When it comes to spiritual leadership, are we really making the difference? Have we allowed the mindset of complacency to hinder our leadership? Are we victims of an apathetic world and indifference regarding our leadership?

Just as there is a difference in all areas of life, we can make a difference if we choose to do so. Let us provide the leadership needed today for a better tomorrow and eternity.

We all enjoy timeless nuggets of advice, snippets of information unaltered by time, generation, or culture. They are not always easy to find and can be often overlooked.

We find timeless advice when God instructed Joshua to “be strong and very courageous.” God emphasized strength and courage three times in this context, but only once did He use the phrase “be strong and very courageous.”

The context has powerful implications in the realm of spiritual leadership, because God’s advice surrounded the strength and courage needed to follow His law.

We have to wonder how different our world would be if spiritual leaders today had the strength and courage to do the same.

Consider the power of leadership to alter eternity. The influence of godly leaders makes a difference in the eternal destination of everyone around them.

Therefore, the driving motivation behind leadership directly relates to the lives changed. When we think about it more closely, the moment someone’s life is changed by our influence, we cannot help but experience change in our own life.

If we truly believe that eternity matters that much, then let us exercise the type of diligence necessary to influence every soul we meet. We might just alter eternity, theirs and ours.

God needs spiritual leaders, and the need is critical. Several years ago, I heard an interesting thought, “God is not about time. He is about purpose.”

Think about it. God is not bound by time as you and I. He created time within the span or space of eternity. However, God is bound by purpose, His purpose, and the purpose He set forth from eternity involves leadership.

Why do we need leaders? Because God demands and commands it. To fall short of the leadership development continuum within His church is to fall short of God’s purpose.

How will we prepare the next generation for leadership in His kingdom and fulfill His purpose?