Often, leadership is thought of in terms of directing a group of people who share common interests or goals. A military general or a coach are perfect examples. Leaders such as these have a matchless capacity to challenge, encourage, and instill, while excellent leaders have the ability to inspire greatness in others.
But leadership is often about standing alone. Leadership is saying “I will” when everybody else won’t; it’s about saying “I won’t” when everyone else wants to. The great leaders have often picked up the torch when everyone else had set it down because the burden was too much to bear. Leadership is about pressing through our current circumstances, no matter how discouraging or inconvenient they may be, and staying the course that God has mapped out for us. Leadership is the resolve to do what we should do, and the courage to refrain from what we ought not to do.
Leadership is also highly connected to faith. A leader does not lose sight of the overall mission or waiver in the things he believes in, even if there is very little evidence to support it. Abraham was one of those leaders. He believed that he was to be the father of many nations even though he did not have a child of his own. Why did he believe this? Because he had faith in what God had promised him.
There are situations in our lives where faith and leadership converge. We may not readily see the value in doing what is just and right, but if we stand true to our convictions,-even if there is no foreseen benefit- we will reap a tremendous reward in the days to come.
