Be A Star Leader

UV 1556/10000 Be a Star Leader
And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever
Daniel 12 v 3

Leadership is not just influence but positive influence. The influence comes from wisdom and righteousness and not power or position or ability and accomplishment. Just as the stars declare the glory of God in the skies, godly leaders declare the glory of God on earth among mankind. Though there are a trillion stars in the universe, not one is exactly the same as the other. Leaders are stars in the eyes of the Lord, each a shining example forever and each unique and set apart. A leader by definition is one who leads people out of darkness, ignorance of God and His Word into His light and truth, into personal knowledge of the One who not only created us but redeemed us. The Book of Proverbs defines the wise as those who win souls for the Kingdom of God. Leaders who do not invest their lives in an everlasting purpose are but like fireflies that glow with some transient glory. Leaders are not worried about excessive or gross darkness in the world. They act as peacemakers, pace setters, problem solvers. The greater the darkness, the stars shine more brightly to light up the sky.

The stars and their formations are the ancient compass set in the sky for earthly sojourners to navigate their paths. Similarly, leaders help people navigate their lives and reach their divine destination. They become the cause and stimulus for changing the direction of people’s lives. Worldly leaders are set apart by their worldly knowledge- scientific, literary, economic or political. But godly leaders are set apart not by knowledge but by wisdom. The stars are an almost inexhaustible source of power and energy. Similarly, godly leaders have access to infinite power and energy. Their influence or light cuts through great distances and deep darkness. Just as stars have an orbit, leaders have certain positions and orbits in which the Lord has set them. They give out more light than they take.

The wise have a head star-t. They think ahead of priorities and focus on these. It implies that they start by allowing the Lord to touch and transform their thoughts, temperament, tongue, talent and time. They point people to Jesus who is the way, the truth and the life. They know they have no righteousness of their own and that it is the finished work of Jesus on the cross that makes them righteous in the eyes of the Lord. They build their lives and leadership on the solid rock principles embedded in the eternal Word of God and not the changing ideas, whims and thoughts of human beings. Though they develop amazing power and impact, they withdraw themselves to the background of the skies to remain tiny twinkling dots. They bow before the Sun of Righteousness and bask in His glory. Right through history numerous leaders in different fields including Newton and Edison have left their shining examples as star leaders who are bright, wise and righteous. In biblical times, Daniel and his three companions were star leaders. They excelled as much in saying , “No” to certain things as they said “ Yes “ to God. They subjected themselves to disciplining their appetite for the world and cultivating their taste for things of eternal value. They took a principled stand against the high and mighty of the land and were courageous enough to be willing to pay the price for it. They continue to inspire faith, hope, courage and integrity in succeeding generations of people of nationalities around the world while the memory of the great kings they served have only become faded or cited as examples of negative leadership or negative influence.

Prateep V Philip