Servant Leadership - Integrity Via Intimacy
A couple of thoughts as we celebrate Mother’s Day.
I really enjoyed discussions with faculty members from a local Seminary last week. You can get a good sense of the church's pulse by the quality of your Bible teachers. One professor asked me how we can best teach prospective pastors ethics, and how that relates to the law. My answer was that it’s not just for pastoral students. The same excellent question of how we teach ethics is one for prospective medical doctors, lawyers, and electricians, too.
God’s way is that we have to learn to use good judgment (Proverbs 9:6). Bad theology leads to horrendous ethics and, in turn, bad moral behavior. You see that with false teachers who say that each person is destined to a certain lot in life (the caste system weaseling its way into Christianity).
A Christian businessman told me this week that all things are ordained by God before He created the world and that there is nothing we can do to change our lot in life. Yikes! What nonsense! Pure rubbish. Even Augustine believed in a degree of free will. How on earth can you read Proverbs or any book of the Bible and not come to the same conclusion?
Yes, of course, I agree that our free will is muddled by sin. We need to be very careful not to be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin (Hebrews 3:13). But how can you read Revelation 22:12 and not understand that God rewards according to what we do with our moral abilities?
I’m just a dumb farm boy from Saskatchewan, but even I know that we must advocate for clear biblical teaching about moral responsibility, from the youngest age right through until we meet God. We never ever stop learning and growing in Christ.
We must learn and discern the difference between right and wrong. My view is that foundational ethical beliefs are reinforced as men get older, but the real training is done by the moms and the dads when the kids are little. I’m so thankful for my mom - she loved us all so much. She is the most loyal advocate for her four boys and her husband. I see that in my wife, as she advocates for and loves our daughter and four boys. And I see that now in my daughter as she loves and teaches her four boys.
The Bible says, “The godliness of good people rescues them; the ambition of treacherous people traps them” (Proverbs 11:6). Exactly! That, my friend, is what we need to teach in our business schools and in our Seminaries (Medical Schools, Trade Schools, etc.). We need to strive for godliness and be very wary of our selfish ambition.
I know I can sound like a broken record, but I do so because I believe it is essential that Christian leaders take on responsibility. The Bible does not teach divine determinism. Of course, God has a plan, and He works out His purposes. But the Bible is clear that God in His Almighty Sovereignty reigns from heaven and gives men dominion over the earth and freedom to act and choose and to take responsibility and cooperate with Him for His purposes. Equally true, we can shirk responsibility and rebel against Him (Proverbs 11:20). We are to put our minds to God’s interests, not our own (Philippians 2:21).
The Bible also warns repeatedly about serving two masters and taking the wide path rather than God’s path. God says, “Trust in your money and down you go!” (Proverbs 11:28). Ethics, morality, and integrity rightly set and rightly followed are found in God’s word, taught by moms and dads at the outset and then taught by our various teachers all through our lives.
I’m convinced that the best business leaders can teach. I know it is a secular example, but look at how Warren Buffett spent his entire corporate career essentially as a teacher. If you've read any of his annual reports, you know you are being taught by a wise value investor, not just reading how the last year went at Berkshire.
Young men: Desire to know God’s Word. To be qualified as a Christian leader, you must be able to teach His Word (1 Timothy 3:2). All people have the God given ability to learn and grow and respond to the Word of God, for the Good News has the power to save our souls (Romans 1:16 and 1 Thessalonians 1:5).
I see a lot of modern debates between Provisionists, Arminians, and Calvinists as to whether or not prevenient grace is required before someone has faith in Jesus Christ. My view is what the Bible says, “So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ” (Romans 10:17). We can all have faith in Christ, but we must hear the Good News. So yes, keep preaching and teaching the Good News! God wants all people to know the truth and to accept Him, for He purchased freedom for everyone (1 Timothy 2:4-6).
As we go and preach the gospel, I’m more than ever convinced that each of us must be a missionary for the Lord God. For those of us on mission in the business world, we need to exercise wisdom and be mindful of God’s standards and listen to God’s guidance as we decide on who we will mentor and train. God says, “It is senseless to pay tuition to educate a fool, since he has no heart for learning” (Proverbs 17:16). Be intentional as to who you mentor.
We can and must be intentional as we ensure our youth are well-trained in ethics. In Law School (in the early '90s), we learned very little about the philosophy of law. Most of what they taught us was moral relativism. I found it all confusing at the time, and in hindsight, I see that it was meant to teach us to use the law as a means to achieve social outcomes.
At the University of Saskatchewan, you had the schizoid combination of conservative farm kids being taught socialist Marxist-type propaganda. It was confusing and, frankly, it did little if anything to train lawyers about ethics or even to understand the differences between ethical standards, moral behavior, and integrity. What a shame. I hope and pray that the U. of S. School of Law is doing better now.
And I hope Law Schools across the US get back to teaching classical philosophy and sound ethical teaching. For without a judiciary that understands and upholds the highest standards of ethics, there will be no administration of justice. Rather, the courts just become political instruments.
Scripture is the best teacher. It is in Scripture that we learn God’s standards and see the example of godly behavior. For instance, and I know this is getting long, so I'll keep it short. Think of King David in how he planned for the building of the Temple worthy of God, and how he called all of the leaders together and showed them by example how to give and how to honor God by transferring power as required by God.
Where do you get that kind of teaching but for the Bible? King David gave over 112 tons of his own gold and 262 tons of silver (1 Chronicles 28 and 29). Generosity and commitment to the cause of Christ are contagious. But we need leaders to lead by example. King David wanted to ensure the craftsmen had all the materials they needed to build a Temple worthy of God. And he challenged the rest of the leaders to give. He said, “Now then, who will follow my example and give offerings to the LORD today?” (1 Chronicles 29:5).
People will give willingly if they know the cause is God’s Kingdom, not the empire-building of little earthly kings. As King David confirmed, all honor comes from Almighty God alone (1 Chronicles 29:12).
Back to the point about how to teach ethics. As we teach and mentor, we need to be constantly reminded that we are building for God and serving Him alone. For God knows our motives. He won’t bless what is selfishly motivated. God loves it when He finds a man or woman with pure motives and integrity. In fact, God examines all of our hearts and He rejoices when He finds integrity there (1 Chronicles 29:17). That alone should silence those who believe God does not give people freedom and responsibility. He does!
So, to answer the professor’s question as best I can, I would say that integrity flows from intimacy with God. You won’t love and fear and follow God if you don’t talk to Him, hear from Him, rely on Him, respect Him, be vulnerable and honest with Him, seek His forgiveness and guidance, learn from Him, and feel His presence in all things and especially in worship.
For God alone is our protection and our hope. Here is how King David put it, “And Solomon, my son, learn to know the God of your ancestors intimately. Worship and serve him with your whole heart and a willing mind. For the LORD sees every heart and knows every plan and thought. If you seek him, you will find him. But if you forsake him, he will reject you forever. So take this seriously. The LORD has chosen you to build a Temple as his sanctuary. Be strong, and do the work” (1 Chronicles 28:9-10). We can't do better than King David's advice on freedom and responsibility. That is what we should teach our kids.
Lord Jesus, thank you for this Mother's Day. May our wives and moms know how much they are loved and treasured by us today. Amen.
Happy Mother's Day to my adventure partner.
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