There are only two kinds of leaders in the world. There are worldly leaders, and there are Godly leaders.
Whether a leader is worldly or Godly depends entirely on their estimation of self in relation to God and others.
Allow me to explain.
Adam and Eve, the First Worldly Leaders
God created Adam and Eve, placed them in the Garden of Eden, and gave them authority over all the plants and animals. We all know the one restriction is they were not to eat from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil (Genesis 2:17).
Why this one restriction?
Because if they ate from the Tree of Knowledge, “they would be like God” (Genesis 3:5).
Adam and Eve ate from the Tree because they wanted to be like God, knowing good and evil.
Their desire to be like God cost them a comfortable life in the Garden of Eden and placed the burden of sin on the rest of humanity.
Ever since Adam and Eve, leaders have struggled with a prideful desire to be like God. Worldly leaders are prideful leaders who want to be like God.
Worldly Leaders in the Bible
There is no shortage of worldly leaders in the pages of Scripture! These men all thought so much of themselves; they thought they were like God!
King of Babylon
The prophet Isaiah recounts the King of Babylon’s innermost thoughts as the king claimed he would make himself like God.
“You said in your heart, ‘I will ascend to heaven; I will raise my throne above the stars of God; I will sit enthroned on the mount of assembly, on the utmost heights of the sacred mountain. I will ascend above the tops of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.’” (Isaiah 14:13-14)
Talk about hubris! The King of Babylon thought he would place his throne above the stars of God and be like God himself.
King of Tyre
The prophet Ezekiel captured the King of Tyre’s thoughts as the king said he was a god.
“…In the pride of your heart, you say, “I am a god; I sit on the throne of a god in the heart of the seas…” (Ezekiel 28:2)
The King of Tyre didn’t merely say he would be like God; he said he was a god and intended to sit on the throne of god!
King of Assyria
The King of Assyria was so confident in his abilities and the strength of his army he said he could even defeat the armies of God.
“The field commander said to them, ‘Tell Hezekiah, “‘This is what the great king, the king of Assyria, says: On what are you basing this confidence of yours? You say you have strategy and military strength–but you speak only empty words. On whom are you depending, that you rebel against me? And if you say to me, “We are depending on the LORD our God”–isn’t he the one whose high places and altars Hezekiah removed, saying to Judah and Jerusalem, “You must worship before this altar”? (Isaiah 36:4-5,7)
The King of Assyria was so prideful he thought he was responsible for his accomplishments, never recognizing his abilities and strengths came from God!
These Worldly Leaders All Died
It ended badly for the Kings of Babylon, Tyre, and Assyria.
They may have thought their power and position made them like God or even a god, but they were wrong. The King of Babylon didn’t establish his throne above the stars of God. The King of Tyre never sat on the throne of a god. And the King of Assyria discovered he and his armies weren’t more powerful than God.
Their pride and desire to be thought of as gods led to their demise. In the end, they all died, just like every other man.
Worldly Leaders View of Self
You don’t have to be a king to be a worldly leader. I worked with only a couple of men I considered worldly leaders in my career. They considered themselves far superior to all the rest of the peons that either worked for or with them.
Their pride, their boundless hubris drove their self-view.
Godly Leaders See Themselves Differently
Godly leaders see themselves in a very different light. Godly leaders have a humble estimation of self in relationship to God. They do not seek applause for their accomplishments. Instead, they aim to bring glory to God as they devote themselves to advancing His kingdom.
More Articles
I have written several articles on a leader’s humility. You can find them by typing “humility” in the search bar. Meanwhile, here are a few of my favorites.
- #303: This Man’s Pride Almost Cost Him His Life
- #274: How Did Peter’s Failure Make Him A Better Leader?
- #223: Let Us Stop and Remember Whose We Are
- #133: What Oops! Do Starbucks and Haggen Have in Common?
Join the Conversation
As always, questions and comments are welcome. Have you worked with worldly leaders with an inflated view of self? What was their impact on the organization?
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Category: Personal Development | Humility
