Biblical Leadership - Free Paper Sample

Introduction

Biblical leadership is one of the most explored topics amongst Christians and their leaders. The subject is critical as it helps in mapping out the qualities of leaders that people want. It is also essential since people can identify leaders’ positive and negative traits while ensuring that they learn. Leaders in the Bible would ensure that they built trust in their followers since it would ensure that the people they were leading would believe their messages (Merida, 2015). Integrity, the fear of God, faith, and good people relations were among the most essential traits of any leader in the Bible. The traits would help them in relating to people and God. King Solomon is one of the greatest kings that Israel had. He was chosen by God, who gave him wisdom, which is an important aspect of leadership. Solomon was a compassionate, wise, just, and practical leader. Solomon’s leadership style was charismatic since he aimed at changing the situations of those around him and the kingdom of Israel.

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Charismatic Leadership

Charismatic leadership is reflected in his wisdom. The decisions by Solomon were informed by justice and discernment. In Proverbs, Solomon exhibits wisdom with a dimension of justice by stating that every right path is informed by righteousness and justice. According to Proverbs 2:9, “Then you will understand righteousness, justice, and integrity-every good path.” (Proverbs 2:9). Solomon was able to make his decisions based on his wisdom to administer justice. A such, the people of Israel were pleased with him. One of the instances where Solomon uses discernment to administer justice is when he is presented with the case of two women arguing about a newborn child. While making the decision, he discerned that the woman who was denying the other’s claim could not be the child’s mother, and she was lying (Merida, 2015). He relied on discernment and wisdom to ensure that the baby went to the actual mother.

According to Merida, the Israelites were in awe due to the wisdom that the Lord had given their king. Using discernment subjects’ perceptions and justice, Solomon transformed his subjects’ perceptions, who understood how to assess critical situations. The kings who came after him were unable to lead with similar wisdom or defend the poor since they lacked charisma.

Humility

The humility by King Solomon is also another reason why he is considered charismatic. In most instances, leaders fail to be humble since they understand that they are the most powerful in any hierarchical structure. However, Solomon understood and confessed that he was very young to lead the Israelites, who were numerous (Merida, 2015). Solomon admitted his inadequacies during his ascension to power, and the same enabled him to rely on the Lord for insight. His humility allowed him to relate well with the Israelites, allowing him to rule peacefully for a long time. Other kings could not attain his humility due to their arrogance, and it led to the downfall of their kingdom. Therefore, through his humility, Solomon was able to retain his charisma and good relations with those around him.

The charismatic character of Solomon reflected the character of God and honor for His commands. While asking for humility and wisdom, Solomon shows prayerfulness. Jesus, in Matthew, reminds his disciples to remain prayerful and dependent on God since what they ask for will be given unto them (Merida, 2015). He further illustrated that God would not give anyone the opposite of what they asked for, reflecting the things that Solomon received due to his askings. God reassured and answered Solomon by giving him wisdom and eliminating his inadequacies (Menkings, 2017). Therefore, Solomon honored God by maintaining a prayerful life and relying on Him in most of his engagements.

Justice and Concern

Justice and concern for the needy are one of God’s commands that Solomon upheld during his rule. While making his judgment in the case between two mothers who were in disagreement about the ownership of a baby, Solomon exercised justice by giving the baby to the rightful owner. He shows that it is vital to defend the powerless and vulnerable in society (Menkings, 2017). His actions also reflect the character of God, who ensured that the powerless and needy got justice. This incidence also shows God’s righteousness as compassionate since the king was acting based on God’s wisdom. This incident shows God as compassionate, and Solomon honored the will of God through compassion.

Conclusively, Solomon comes out as a wise leader. His wisdom, justice, and compassion in his administration enable him to reflect the will and power of God. His attributes bring him out as charismatic since none of his successors meet his wisdom and prosperity standards.

Conclusion

Through Solomon, God is seen as wise and just. When deciding the case against the two women, he protects the child and the powerless woman. Throughout the Bible, God is seen as just and wise in His dealings with Israel’s children. Similarly, Solomon honors the commands of God by maintaining compassion and integrity in his decisions.

References

“Then, you will understand righteousness, justice, and integrity-every good path.”. (Proverbs 2:9, Holman Christian Standard Bible).

Menking, S. (2017). King Solomon: Wisdom for Modern Leaders. Shimane University Language and Culture: Bulletin of Faculty of Law and Literature, Shimane University, Department of Language and Culture (43), 53-68.

Merida, T. (2015). Exalting Jesus in 1 & 2 Kings. B&H Publishing Group.