An Unexpected Leader
Now the city shall be doomed by the Lord to destruction, it and all who are in it.
Only Rahab the harlot shall live, she and all who are with her in the house, because she hid the messengers that we sent. Joshua 6:17
The story of Rahab proves that God will use anybody. This woman worked as a prostitute in Jericho. Although the Hebrew spies needed someone to help them scope out the best approach to conquering the city, there seemed little logical reason why Rahab should have been considered for the role.
But because leadership depends less on titles than it does on influence, God chose Rahab. She helped the spies by her quick wisdom, gutsy style, and clever plan. She saved not only her own life, but aided in accomplishing the purposes of God in Jericho.
Wise leaders remember that God sees the human heart; while many would never trust a woman with a personal history like that of Rehab, God selected her. Because Rahab faithfully served God, her family lived and was adopted into Hebrew society-and she became an ancestor of the Lord Jesus Himself (Matthew 1:5).
Expanding the Circle Beyond Twelve
Then the seventy returned with joy, saying, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name.” And He said to them, “I saw Satan fall like lightening from heaven. Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you.” ~ Luke 10:17-19
If you look at the roster of any successful team, you will see that the starters are always outnumbered by the other players on the team. In pro football, twenty-two people start on offense and defense, but teams are allowed to have fifty-three players on a team. (College teams often have more than 100!)
You find similar situations in every field. In the entertainment industry, the actors are often known, but the hundreds of crew members it takes to make a movie aren’t. For any politician or corporate executive or big-name fashion designer that you know about, hundreds of people are working quietly in the background to make their work possible. Nobody can neglect the majority of the team and hope to be successful.
[tags]Leadership, God, Self-improvement, personal development[/tags]