September 13

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#447: Are You the Very Model of a Modern Godly Leader?


By Ron

September 13, 2021

minute read time

Godly Leader, Nehemiah

With apologies to the Pirates of Penzance, “Are You the Very Model of a Modern Godly Leader?”

If you Google “model leader,” you’ll find (as I did) over 9 million articles with descriptions of what it takes to be a model leader.

That’s too many to sort through, though!

So, I narrowed my search to “model Godly leader,” and Google offered, “there are no matches to your search!”

Over 9 million hits on secular model leadership, but none describing a model Godly leader.

That explains a lot about the current state of world leadership today. We are focused on secular leadership models a whole lot more than Godly leadership models.

A Model Leader

With a little more digging, I found an article written by Ed Yamauchi entitled “A Model Leader: Leadership in Nehemiah.”

Yamauchi identifies seven attributes exhibited in Nehemiah’s leadership that make him a model of Godly leadership.

Nehemiah and the seven leadership attributes he displayed make him a model for us as leaders today.

1. A Man of Responsibility & Trustworthiness

Nehemiah, a Jew, rose to the position of cupbearer to the Persian king, Artaxerxes, the ruler of the most powerful nation on earth. As cupbearer, Nehemiah was a close confidant and trusted advisor to the king. No king would trust such a vital position to anyone who was not responsible in their duties and trustworthy. Their lives depended on it!

2. A Man of Prayer

Nehemiah was a prayerful leader. The first thing Nehemiah does upon hearing of the problems back in Jerusalem is to go to God in prayer (Nehemiah 1:5-11).  Nehemiah even prayed in the presence of the king (Nehemiah 2:4)! Next, when enemies voiced their opposition to rebuilding Jerusalem, Nehemiah prayed (Nehemiah 4:4-5). Finally, when the work of rebuilding the city was completed, and the priesthood restored, Nehemiah prayed for God to remember the people and show mercy to them (Nehemiah 13:14-31).

Nehemiah prayed when confronted with a problem, in public and in private, amid opposition, and in thanks as his work was completed.

3. A Man Who Was Rightly Motivated

Nehemiah’s motivation as leader of the people was to please and serve God! Three times in his final prayer to God, Nehemiah asks God to “remember him for his good” (Nehemiah 13:14, 22, 29). Throughout all the years of work in rebuilding the city and then serving as governor of Jerusalem, Nehemiah wanted only for God to remember him for doing good.

4. A Man of Vision

For over 140 years, the people of Jerusalem lived in a city with walls and gates in disrepair. However, upon hearing about the situation and then visiting the city itself to inspect the site, Nehemiah envisioned the entire city rebuilt to its former glory.

5. A Man of Action and Cooperation

After Nehemiah completed his inspection of the city, he explained to the city leaders what he wanted to do and enrolled them in his vision (Nehemiah 2:16-18). Next, he organized the workers (Nehemiah 3), divided the work, and delegated authority to men of integrity to oversee the work (Nehemiah 7:2).

6. A Man of Compassion

Nehemiah cared for the everyday citizen and the difficulties they endured living in Jerusalem. Citizens told him they were struggling to buy food and pay all the king’s taxes. Because of inflation and high taxes, many had mortgaged their fields, vineyards, and homes just to survive.

To lighten the people’s financial burden, Nehemiah canceled the debts owed him and chastised wealthy city leaders for giving fellow citizens high-interest loans (Nehemiah 5).

7. A Man Who Triumphed Over Opposition

Enemies surrounded Judah; Sanballat the Samarian in the north, Tobiah the Ammonite in the east, and Geshem the Arab in the south (Nehemiah 2:19). They all wanted to see Nehemiah fail in his attempts to rebuilt Jerusalem. To make matters worse, even some of Jerusalem’s own leaders opposed his efforts to rebuild the city.

Nehemiah responded to this opposition with prayer (Nehemiah 4:4), focus (4:6), vigilance (4:9), and trust in God (4:14). In addition, Nehemiah refused to be distracted by the opposition and their lies (Nehemiah 6:3, 8). As a result, Nehemiah rebuilt the city walls and gates in only 52 days!

Nehemiah, the Model of a Godly Leader

While Nehemiah displayed many other excellent traits as a leader, I agree with Yamauchi’s contention that Nehemiah was a model Godly leader because:

  1. He was prepared to be led by God,
  2. He was a dedicated man of prayer,
  3. He sought only to please God in his work,
  4. He had an inspired vision,
  5. He enlisted the support and help of others,
  6. He was sensitive to the needs of the people, and
  7. He was not the least bit intimidated by those who opposed him in this God-ordained work.

By any measure, these are traits wholly worthy of emulation by us as modern Godly leaders!

More Articles

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

Join the Conversation

As always, questions and comments are welcome. Is there an aspect of being a model of a Godly leader that you need to pay attention to?

I’d love your help. This blog is read primarily because of people like you who share it with friends. Would you be kind enough to share it by pressing the share button?

Category: Personal Development | Leader Qualifications

Ron Kelleher round small
About the author

Ron spent 36-years in Sales and Marketing with Procter & Gamble before heading off to Talbot Seminary. Now Ron spends all his time writing, volunteering at church, and loving his beautiful family!
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  • Ron- The fact you Googled “Model Godly Leader” and came up with nothing is telling of today’s standards and priorities. The secular trajectory continues, sadly.

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