The Church-Going Leader

What would regular attendance to a Christian church do for a leader? Not much if the person is there just for votes or just to be seen. Even less if the "church" is off base on its biblical teachings.

Just attending church does not make one holy or right with God. Church attendance has become no more than a social networking service for many people.

We must also consider how to encourage each other to show love and to do good things. We should not stop gathering together with other believers, as some of you are doing. Instead, we must continue to encourage each other even more as we see the day of the Lord coming.
Hebrews 10:24-25 (GW)

Here the Bible tells us that we are to encourage each other to do "good things" and to "show love." Somewhere in the past 200 years of the existence of the United States, this has become lost in translation.

If you and I want good leaders, then we should want someone who believes in truth and has integrity. The Christian faith is a lifestyle choice. Believing, that Jesus dies for our sins and accepting that He therefore can forgive us, is just the beginning of our Christian life. We also have to make lifestyle choices that honor and respect God and His way for living.

Gathering together at church is where we firm up our convictions through encouraging each other - not just to go get our "God fix". True leaders are not afraid of the humility that grows from following God, and in my opinion, our public officials need to undergo a weekly dosage of this kind of humility.

Leaders who submit to biblical teaching are more apt to have moral ethics and will act upon those ethics for the betterment of our society and not weigh their decision upon public opinion or popular thinking. They act upon standards and convictions that restrain them from acting too quickly in crisis and from acting too slowly when decisions have to be made. Their decisions are founded on principle.

To take a quote from Moses, "I wish that all our leaders had the Spirit of God upon them".

How would we benefit from a leader who actually went to church regularly?

Truth and integrity matter. They are the sole character traits that make or break great leaders. Could you vote for a liar or thief with good conscience? How much more could our President get done if he was holding Bible studies in the White House instead of the weekly Wednesday night brandy parties?

Someone with faith understands purpose. I do not want daydreamers running our country. Faith provides purpose, and purpose attends to focus. Focus increases drive and passion. Too many of our public officials lack drive and have little innovation. Suppressing truth like many ultra-liberals wish to do, crushes drive and increases ones desire to manipulate and control mindsets.

Christianity is a threat to many people because it inspires purpose and inhibits distractions. It also encourages us to live in peace with everyone and to act with kindness. Kindness cures bitterness. Christianity also teaches against sexual immorality which some would claim to be repression instead of freedom. The problem here is that any sin, including sexual sins, are distractions and keep people from achieving their best.

The benefits of a "church-goer" grow into character. I want to be able to choose people with character; people who:

• show love
• do the right things
• strive for peace
• act in kindness
• listen to God
• refuse sinful practices to avoid distractions
• extend hospitality
• hold marriage with honor
• aren't driven by money
• have principles and moral ethics
• accept authority as well as act in authority
  

What more would you want from a leader?