#378: Leading God’s People Through Difficult Times

What is it about difficult times that bring out the best and worst leaders?

There are those leaders who relish the opportunity a crisis brings to advance their selfish agenda. These leaders hope to use a crisis to their advantage without regard for the impact on the people they are leading. They eagerly step forward and say, “Follow me, I will save you.” However, in their hearts, all they care about is how they can use the crisis to further serve their end goals.

These selfish, self-aggrandizing leaders are the worst possible leaders in any situation, but especially amidst a crisis.

What kind of leader should we look for when the chips are down, and God’s people are suffering? What characteristics does an effective, selfless leader possess?

Moses from Shepherd to Leader

The Bible gives us many examples of leaders. Some were effective, some not so much. Some tried to follow God, while some clearly did not.

One leader who had a difficult leadership assignment was Moses. The Hebrews had suffered through 400 years of slavery and oppression at the hands of the Egyptians. God heard the people’s cries and called on Moses to rescue the Hebrew people, lead them out of Egypt, and into the Promised Land.

Can you imagine the challenge of stepping into that leadership situation? Millions of suffering people who know only slavery are suddenly your responsibility. You live out in the country. You make your living as a shepherd. You’re married, and you have kids. You are living the dream. Suddenly, God calls you to return to the land of your birth and take on the greatest challenge of your life!

It takes a special leader to rise to this challenge, and Moses, though reluctant at first, stepped up and took on a job that lasted 40 years.

If you read all of Moses’ story recorded in the book of Exodus, you will see what an incredible leader Moses really was. Of his many leadership strengths, I have noted nine that I think are especially important when leading God’s people in difficult times.

1. Calling & Vision

Moses was living in the desert, tending his father-in-law’s sheep, when God appeared to Moses in the form of a burning bush. God told Moses He had seen the suffering of the Hebrew people and wanted to rescue them from the Egyptians. God told Moses he was sending him to Egypt to appear before Pharaoh and bring the people out of Egypt. (Genesis 3:7-10)

God called Moses to the task of freeing the Hebrews from the Egyptians. Based on God’s call, Moses’ vision was to free the people and lead them out of Egypt to the Promised Land. Throughout his life, Moses was faithful to the vision God gave him despite fierce opposition from the Egyptians and his own people.

Their calling and vision are what drives effective leaders. This is not only true but also especially important when leading people through a difficult time. Popular approval or power is not important; achieving the vision is paramount.

2. Listen to God

Moses listened to God and followed His instructions. Whether it was in the burning bush, the confrontations with Pharaoh, or the time spent on Mt Moriah receiving God’s law, Moses is portrayed as someone who listened to God and did what God instructed him to do.

Type A leaders have a habit of hearing from God and then tearing off on their own. “I hear you, God, but I’ll take it from here,” they think to themselves! We must continue to listen to and head God’s instruction!

3. Build an Alliance

Moses was an outsider among his own people. He had been raised in Pharaoh’s court. He received the best of everything, including the best education available. Moses was never a slave, like his people.

So, the first thing Moses did after he received God’s calling was, he enrolled his father-in-law and relatives in God’s vision for the Hebrew people. Then, he went to Egypt and assembled the Hebrew leaders. Moses told them about God’s plan to rescue them; they believed him and worshipped God. (Genesis 3:1-4:31)

Amid a crisis, leaders enroll other leaders who support the vision. They create alliances with respected leaders the people trust.

4. Unwavering

Moses stood before Pharaoh and said, “let my people go.” Pharaoh rejected Moses’ request. Undaunted, Moses returned to Pharaoh multiple times to restate his demand to let the people go. Despite Pharaoh’s increasing oppression of his people, Moses was unwavering in his demand to let the people go! (Exodus 7-11)

Leaders know when their cause is just, and there is no room for compromise. They are persistent and cannot be deterred from achieving their objective.

5. Compassionate

Even though Moses lived a life of luxury, not forgetting the slavery of his people, he had great compassion for them. Never was this more evident than when the people rebelled against God by making the golden calves. God wanted to wipe them out, but Moses interceded for the people, even offering his own life as atonement for their sin. Moses was willing to die to protect the people from God’s wrath. (Exodus 32:30-32)

Leaders with compassion for the people they are leading will put the needs of the people first.

6. Humble

When God tells Moses to go to Pharaoh, Moses’ immediate reaction is one of pure humility. “Who am I to go to Pharaoh?” he asks. God assures Moses He will be with him. Moses even suggested that his lack of eloquence or slowness of speech might keep him from succeeding in his appeal before Pharaoh. Numbers 12:3 describes Moses as the humblest man on the face of the earth.

Moses’ awareness of his limitations caused him to rely on God, not on his own power.

In times of crisis, many leaders step forward out of pride. Seeking recognition, they lead to serve themselves.  Humble leaders know their success is not attributable or due to their brilliance alone. They lead to serve the people.

7. Action-Oriented

Once Moses accepted God’s call on his life, Moses became a man of action.

Moses acted on what God told him to do. Moses returned to face Pharaoh several times performing mighty signs. He instructed the people in all the intricacies of God’s law. Moses led the people through the wilderness for 40 long years. Along the way, he oversaw the construction of the tabernacles and all its furnishings. Eventually, Moses appointed 70 elders to help oversee the governance of the Hebrew people.

There is a time to pray, a time to develop plans, and a time to act! Particularly in difficult times, people need leaders who are not afraid to act!

8. Delegate

Moses was overwhelmed by the responsibility of judging all the disputes that came before him from the people. So, Moses sought and appointed capable men as judges. He created a hierarchy of judges over groups of ten, fifty, hundreds, and thousands of people. Moses taught the judges God laws, and only the most difficult cases were brought to him to decide. (Genesis 18:24-26)

Leaders delegate key responsibilities, so they can stay focused on what only they can do!

9. Leverage Giftedness

God gave Moses detailed instructions for building the tabernacle and all its furnishings. Moses did not have the skills necessary to complete the work. So, Moses appointed two men, Bezalel and Oholiab, who were gifted by God to oversee the construction of the tabernacle and all its furnishings. (Genesis 31:1-11)

Leaders leverage the gifts and talents of others to help achieve their objectives.

Conclusion

Leading God’s people through a challenging time requires leaders who care about the people and their needs ahead of themselves.

I think this is why I like Moses’ leadership story so much. He was called to leadership by God and took on God’s vision for the Hebrew people as his own. Moses listened carefully to God and followed God’s instructions. Then, Moses built an alliance with family members and Hebrew leaders. Moses was persistent and unwavering in his demands to Pharaoh to let the people go.

Despite the unrelenting pressure, Moses remained humble and deeply compassionate.

Moses was a man of action. He made decisions and delegated work to those he trusted so he could stay focused on the one job God had called him to do, lead the people out of slavery, and to the Promised Land.

We could use a few more leaders with these characteristics leading God’s people today!

More Articles

I have written several articles on leader qualifications. You can find them by typing “leader qualifications” in the search bar. Meanwhile, here are four of my favorites.

• #353: Is Your Ability to Influence Tied to Your Influenceability?
• #340: Is the Road to Ruin Paved with Pride?
• #338: How to Get Your Boss to Not Trust You
• #335: What Three Traits Does God Require Leaders to Have?

Join the Conversation

As always, questions and comments are welcome. What leadership traits do you think are most important for leaders leading during especially difficult times?

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Category: Personal Development | Leader Qualifications