It is fascinating to consider mankind’s journey in gaining knowledge of God and His intended role in the affairs of His creation. I believe an important element of that truth is revealed to us in the ninth century B.C. and continues to be relevant today:

Throughout the time Jehoiada the priest instructed him, [King] Joash did what was right in the Lord’s sight (2 Kings 12:2).

The backdrop is that King Joash’s grandfather and father before him had been so corrupt that corruption had become ingrained within the office. That corrupt mindset is demonstrated by his grandfather’s widow, Athaliah, who, after the death of both her husband and her son, usurped the throne, then attempted to execute all the male descendants so that she might not be challenged for the throne. In the midst of the evil pervading this family, Athaliah’s own daughter rescued Joash, the infant son of the later king. Together with her husband Jehoiada, they hid and protected him. They nurtured that young boy. Convinced of God’s intent for Joash to be the king, they worked to overthrow the usurper and install Joash. Joash was still young when he became king. His uncle and mentor, Jehoida, continued to pour God’s principles for governing into Joash. As a result, in contrast to the history of corruption within the leadership, King Joash was remarkably different from his predecessors. He did what was right in the eyes of God. We must recognize that King Joash’s doing right in God’s eyes led to his doing good for his countrymen. Unfortunately, Jehoiada died before Joash finished his reign. Tragically for the nation’s people, Joash did not finish as the same good king that he had been earlier.

What lessons can we learn for effective leadership? First, every human leader has two natures – a nature to do good and a nature to do evil. This included Joash, even after the outstanding teaching he had received. One servant of God described the issue this way:

For I do not understand what I am doing, because I do not practice what I want to do, but I do what I hate (Romans 7:15).

The reality is that we too easily give in to the corrupt side of our nature. It is because of this that God warned us:

“For My thoughts are not your thoughts, and your ways are not My ways.” This is the Lord’s declaration. “For as heaven is higher than earth, so My ways are higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts” (Isaiah 55:8-9).

We need to be careful what voices we listen to, whether from others or from within. Hence, without Jehoiada’s constant coaching, we conclude that Joash easily gave in to his selfish nature. Joash no longer had the same counsellor to help him keep his corrupt nature in check. Throughout Jehoiada’s life, Joash had a distinct advantage in having a mentor in his life who also understood the mind of God. And we can learn a lot from the way Jehoiada invested in Joash while king. Let us look more deeply into the truth with which we began:

Throughout the time Jehoiada the priest instructed him, Joash did what was right in the Lord’s sight.

The verb chosen to describe Jehoiada’s role in the king’s life is “instructed”. In the original language, it means “to show”, literally “to show the way”. In order for Jehoiada to show Joash the way, he had to understand the way before ever attempting to impart it. This indicates that he seriously studied God’s principles and their application to the challenges that Joash would face. Apparently, Jehoiada did this more seriously than Joash did and was more motivated to do so. As a result, he contributed greatly to Joash’s life and governing.

We must also look at the effectiveness of this relationship from Joash’s perspective. I submit that Jehoiada proved himself in Joash’s eyes to be the kind of shepherd that Jesus admonished His disciples to be when He told them “Shepherd My sheep … Feed My sheep” (John 21) – a selfless shepherd who truly cares about the sheep entrusted to him. Furthermore, Jesus also described the sheep as being able to discern the trustworthy shepherd (John 10:4 and following). This was the kind of guide Joash perceived Jehoiada to be, as tested over a period of time – one whom he could trust. Based on that trust in Jehoiada’s advice, Joash accepted this guidance to the benefit not only of himself as the king, but to all he governed.

What lessons are there for the Statesman? Good leadership is not genetic or familial. In Joash’s case, his heritage would not have been a good influence. Jehoiada was convinced that King Joash was teachable and, therefore, worth investing in.

Jehoiada was a man of God. However, there is a broader lesson here. The history of government is that from the first governor, there was the recognition that one person could not fulfill the governing responsibility alone but must rely on others in the process, including both subordinate governors and advisors. All of these play a role in effective governance. Hence, the Statesman must be realistic about those surrounding them. These also have the same two natures – one for good, and one to benefit themselves. And from Joash’s example, they must examine carefully everyone who would potentially influence them. Jehoiada proved himself reliable over the course of several decades.

Are there Jehoiada’s available today? As we have explored statesmanship together on this journey, we have considered that Statesmen have a commitment to being God’s instruments. I am convinced that those who desire to be Statesmen must best fulfill their calling by surrounding themselves with others who have the same commitment to be God’s instruments. I believe this is the lesson of Jehoiada’s and Joash’s relationship. I do not believe one can become a Statesman without surrounding themselves with those with the heart of a Statesman.

This includes surrounding ourselves with Jesus, the greatest Statesman of all history. I believe all desiring to be Statesmen can best prepare by studying the life of Jesus. In reality, in facing a major challenge, it is often difficult to answer the question “What would a Statesman do in facing this situation?” However, when asking the different question “What would Jesus do?”, the answer always seems much clearer. I am convinced we are best served by advisors who continually ask that same question “What would Jesus do?”, in addition to seeking to answer that question for ourselves.

The post The Statesman and Advisors appeared first on CENTRE FOR STATECRAFT.

At the heart of our desire to be Statesmen, rather than simply politicians, is understanding our Creator’s desired role in our lives and decisions.

At stake is our ability to move from a view of the likelihood of God’s existence to complete confidence in Him and the sense that He is our closest, most-trusted friend. The issue is our gaining knowledge of Him, unseen though He is with physical eyes, employing our attempts limited by our five senses.

Fortunately, He is even more eager for us to know Him than we are to know Him. In the midst of this journey on the part of our fellow humans is His expression to our forefathers:

“Test Me in this way,” says the LORD of Hosts. “See if I will not open the floodgates of heaven and pour out a blessing for you without measure (Malachi 3:10).

Our Lord spoke this in a specific context. Nevertheless, it reveals a principle underlying God’s effort for us to know Him and trust Him – His challenge for us to put Him to the test. He is not afraid of the challenge and confident that if we put Him to the test, we will gain in trust for Him.

What sets apart the God who reigns over the universe from every other god mankind may worship is His challenge for us to put Him to the test. In general, religion expects its adherents to blindly trust, but the one true God realizes our need as finite physical beings to wrestle with Him in an effort to gain confidence in Him. The challenge for us human beings, who tend to examine employing our five senses, is to avoid failing to ‘see’ our infinite God. As we consider this issue, it is important to remember that our Creator takes active steps to assist us in this process. The French physicist and mathematician of the 17th century, Blaise Pascal, reminds us:

There is a God-shaped vacuum in the heart of every person which cannot be filled by any created thing, but only by God the Creator, made known through Jesus Christ.

He has planted a desire for Him within us that opens our spiritual ‘eyes’ to look for Him and be able to see Him.

One of our early forefathers, Job, wrestled with God as he faced challenges imposed not by God, but by our evil adversary. After wrestling with God for years over these challenges, he finally exclaimed to God:

I had only heard about You before, but now I have seen You with my own eyes (Job 42:5).

He was so convinced of God’s good hand upon his life that he had the same confidence as if he had seen with physical eyes.

Our God asks us to put Him to the test at each stage of our journey as we learn to trust Him and know Him intimately as our closest friend.

In my own journey, I have sensed Him asking me to put Him to the test in small steps of trust, recognizing my human weakness, then to wait in expectation for Him to answer and show Himself strong on my behalf. As the journey has continued, He asked me to trust Him for larger issues, including where my life depended upon it. As He has promised each of us, He has never failed me. I have failed Him, but He has never failed me.

It is especially relevant that God challenged one of our forefathers, Joshua, just as he was installed as head of nation:

Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go (Joshua 1:9).

A few centuries later, as one king (David) was handing the throne to his son (Solomon), he admonished him with these words:

Be strong and courageous, and do the work. Don’t be afraid or discouraged, for the LORD God, my God, is with you. He will not fail you or forsake you. (1 Chronicles 28:20).

This is consistent with each generation teaching the next generation what we have learned about our Creator. As we move forward in this journey, let us act on God’s challenge to our forefathers, as well as the testimony of all who have put Him to the test, and upon its significance to us on our journey:

“Test Me in this way,” says the LORD of Hosts. “See if I will not open the floodgates of heaven and pour out a blessing for you without measure (Malachi 3:10).

Where do we begin in testing God? We are admonished:

Now this is the confidence we have before Him: Whenever we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears whatever we ask, we know that we have what we have asked Him for (1 John 5:14-15).

A good place to begin in testing Him is understanding His promises to us as revealed in His instruction book, and then testing Him with regard to those promises.

As we proceed to test His love for us, let us view His challenge as His immense love for us and remember that He desires our friendship even more than we desire His. Hence, we are reminded that He desires us to address Him affectionately as, paraphrasing, “Dearest Father” (Galatians 4:6; Romans 8:15).

APPLICATION TO THE LIFE OF THE STATESMAN.

Can I say that I view Almighty God as my closest friend? Can I address Him with the intimacy of “Dearest Father”?

Is there a next step of trust I could take as He desires to reveal Himself to me?

Do I recognize that His guidance in my life could help me to be a better shepherd to the people, thereby more of a Statesman?

The post The Statesman Wrestles with God appeared first on CENTRE FOR STATECRAFT.

There is the repeated declaration throughout God’s instruction book that He is the ultimate King over our nations and our world. For example:

For the Lord Most High is to be feared [and worshipped with awe-inspiring reverence and obedience]; He is a great King over all the earth (Psalm 47:2).

King Jehoshaphat (873 to 848 B.C.) acknowledged this truth when he prayed to God:

O Lord, God of our fathers, are You not God in heaven? And do You not rule over all the kingdoms of the nations? Power and might are in Your hand, there is no one able to stand against You (2 Chronicles 20:6).

Throughout, there is the often-repeated declaration:

The Lord reigns! (Psalm 93:1, 97:1, 99:1)

One servant of God expressed it this way:

God is King of all the earth. God reigns over the nations; God is seated on His holy throne. The nobles of the peoples have assembled with the people of the God of Abraham. For the leaders of the earth belong to God; He is greatly exalted (Psalm 47:7-9).

How does the Statesman deal with the reality of an unseen ruler over him or her? The reality is that God is not only King over the nations, but King over the kings and decision-makers of the earth. There are implications. First, all human rulers govern as His subordinates. And they are accountable to Him. As such, He expects those humans to operate as His hands and feet in the administration of nations and peoples. Therefore, He expects that they should work in harmony with Him, consulting Him in their decisions. In fact, they must operate under His guidance.

In an effort to appreciate this issue, consider if you had a subordinate who never consulted you, how confident would you be that this individual was fulfilling your intentions? You could be certain that the subordinate was not doing your will. Likewise, if we do not consult the ultimate King over us, we can be assured we are not doing His will.

One king prayed with this reality in mind during a time of national distress:

Lord of Hosts, … You are God—You alone—of all the kingdoms of the earth. You made the heavens and the earth. Now, Lord our God, save us … so that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that You are the Lord—You alone (Isaiah 37:16,20).

We have two ways we can respond to this essential truth that God is the ultimate King under whom we serve:

1. We can ignore it and pretend He does not exist.
2. We can acknowledge our need to submit to His rulership over our lives and actions.

Let us return to King Jehoshaphat’s understanding when he prayed to God:

Power and might are in Your hand, there is no one able to take a stand against You (2 Chronicles 20:6).

King Jehoshaphat was reminding us that we must view ourselves as accountable to the ultimate ruler under whom we serve. This is true not only for the ultimate human governor of a nation, but for all who serve under that governor. We have the example when God’s spokesman warned the king in a warning that was addressed to “you and your officers” (Jeremiah 22:2). Thus, all who serve are accountable to our ultimate Ruler. Furthermore, the head administrator is accountable not only for one’s own actions, but for those of all subordinates. We are accountable for the Government being God’s instrument from the highest to the lowliest official.

God is not only the ultimate ruler. He is the perfect ruler. As such, God then becomes a model for those who rule as His subordinates. We need to learn what His thinking is regarding governing. As one example, we learn from God’s words to one king:

This is what the Lord says: Administer justice and righteousness. Rescue the victim of robbery from the hand of his oppressor. Don’t exploit or brutalize the foreigner, the fatherless, or the widow. Don’t shed innocent blood in this place (Jeremiah 22:3). 

Justice in all its forms is a high priority. Disobedience, even through ignorance, results in reprimand and disciplinary action.  Following the above instruction was this warning:

“If you do not obey these words, then I swear by Myself”—this is the Lord’s declaration—“that this house will become a ruin” (Jeremiah 22:5).

REFLECTION FOR THE STATESMAN.  Can I recognize God as the ultimate ruler over my nation and view myself as sub-governor to Him? How would He govern if He were doing it instead of me? What steps would the ultimate King over my nation have me to take? For the sake of myself and my nation and my people, do I dare pretend that the God of the Universe has no requirements for me in my administration on His behalf? Does the realization that there is another governor ultimately responsible for my nation lift the pressure off me if I should endeavour to be His instrument?

How can I get to know God better, including His plans for me? King Solomon admonished:

The [reverent] fear of the Lord [that is, worshiping Him and regarding Him as truly awesome] is the beginning and the preeminent part of knowledge (Proverbs 1:7).

The motivation for taking this step in increasing our reverence for Him is:

The [reverent] fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever; the ordinances of the Lord are true and righteous altogether (Psalm 19:9).

The benefit of obedience to God and seeking to obey His instructions:

The secret [of the wise counsel] of the Lord is for those who fear Him, And He will let them know His covenant and reveal to them [through His word] its [deep, inner] meaning (Psalm 25:14).

The wonderful thing is that God’s counsel is openly revealed to those committed to obedience to Him.

The post The Statesman Serving Under the Ultimate King appeared first on CENTRE FOR STATECRAFT.

I believe everyone is familiar with the encounter that David had with Goliath. David was a teenager. Goliath was a 9’9” tall, seasoned, powerful warrior. Everyone knows that David fearlessly felled this giant with a pebble employing a slingshot, perhaps the crudest of all instruments. However, I am convinced that there is more to the story. When David asked to be the one to fight the giant, he repeatedly referred to “the living God”. It is worth considering what David meant by his expression “the living God”. And I am convinced that it is this perspective that is the key to his miraculous success – one that we can appropriate for our own life and service.

The phrase “the living God” is a powerful expression. The addition of the word “living” implies active and involved. From this, we recognize that David viewed God as intimately involved in the lives of His children – involved in every aspect of our lives. We may interpret that David viewed God as hearing and responding, and with compassion and power in response to his needs. God demonstrated that David’s understanding and trust were not misplaced. There is no way we can explain in human terms what David accomplished during that encounter with Goliath.

We learn more about “the living God” and His interaction with fallen man as we watch David’s ensuing life unfold. David is an anomaly to us because when he was King, he allowed his view of God to lapse when he sinned with Bathsheba. And he paid dearly for that lapse. He was disciplined severely by his Lord for his disobedience, reminding him again that our Lord is “the living God”.

Even as David responded to God as he was confronted with his sin through God’s prophet, we see his view of our Master as the “living God”:

Be gracious to me, God, according to Your faithful love; according to Your abundant compassion, blot out my rebellion. Wash away my guilt and cleanse me from my sin. For I am conscious of my rebellion, and my sin is always before me…So You are right when You pass sentence; You are blameless when You judge…Surely You desire integrity in the inner self, and You teach me wisdom deep within. Purify me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow. Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones You have crushed rejoice. Turn Your face away from my sins and blot out all my guilt. God, create a clean heart for me and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not banish me from Your presence or take Your Holy Spirit from me. Restore the joy of Your salvation to me (Psalm 51:1-2,5-12).

When David pleaded with God “Do not banish me from Your presence or take Your Holy Spirit from me”, he recognized that he could not take God’s presence on his behalf for granted. He understood the need for God’s forgiveness and the fact that he could not automatically expect this as a part of His being “the living God” – and certainly not as a result of our Lord being an object of worship. When David pleaded “God, create in me a clean heart”, the word he chose for “create” means not to improve something blemished or imperfect but rather to “create out of nothing”, recognizing that God would have to produce something for which there was not the raw material or a starting point within David’s life. There is nothing David could provide out of which God could create a clean heart. This would have to be a work of God alone.

Possibly, Psalm 23 is one of the tenderest songs that David wrote to God, written years after David’s sin with Bathsheba. In it, David expressed “He restores my soul” (23:3). Again, we see the view of “the living God”.

Listen to David’s heart expressed years after sinning with Bathsheba:

The earth and everything in it, the world and its inhabitants, belong to the LORD; for He laid its foundation on the seas and established it on the rivers…. Who is this King of glory? The LORD, strong and mighty, the LORD, mighty in battle. Lift up your heads, you gates! Rise up, ancient doors! Then the King of glory will come in. Who is He, this King of glory? The LORD of Hosts, He is the King of glory. (Psalm 24:1-2,8-10)

Here, we see David expressing an intimate friendship, one that would reflect that God is “the living God”. Listen to the words of David later in his life:

A man’s steps are established by the LORD, and He takes pleasure in his way. Though he falls, he will not be overwhelmed, because the LORD holds his hand. I have been young and now I am old, yet I have not seen the righteous abandoned or his children begging for bread. He is always generous, always lending, and his children are a blessing. (Psalms 37:23-26)

These are the words of a man who experienced his Lord as “the living God” throughout a lifetime. We learn a lot from David’s life about this One who is “the living God”. He is intimately involved in our lives. He responds to our obedience to Him, and He disciplines us when we disobey Him. As “the living God”, He does not leave us to guess what He wants us to do. He makes it very clear as we call upon Him. In response, He promises to hold our hand. What more can a Statesman wish for?

David is considered to have been a good King, by God and man. He is representative of human beings with an imperfect nature desiring to do good for those he was called to serve. I propose for your consideration that his view of our Creator as “the living God” played a key part in his life and service. My challenge is for you to get to know God as David did and to have Him as your “living”, active partner throughout your life, guiding you and holding your hand.

The post The View of God Upon Which to Build Statesmanship appeared first on CENTRE FOR STATECRAFT.

Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a disgrace to any people (Proverbs 14:34).

We recognize that the Religious Institution must play the leading role in achieving this goal. My intention is for Statesmen to clearly understand the role that the Religious Institution is designed by our Creator to play in building a society receiving God’s abundant blessings.

This Religious Institution universally is named “ecclesia” in the Greek of the New Testament of the Bible, God’s handbook, and is commonly translated “Church”. Our Creator defines the responsibility of the ecclesia as “of the living God, the pillar and foundation of the truth” (1 Timothy 3:15). Knowing that God is One and that He is unchanging, we know He has an arm within every culture, perhaps by a different name, intended to serve as His “pillar and foundation of the truth”. The requirements for the “ecclesia” are clearly laid out and define the role our Creator intends for the Religious Institution in our nations.

The Religious Institution plays a critical role in society on such a journey because we as human beings have difficulty in understanding and approaching our God who cannot be easily comprehended using our five senses with which we approach the seen world. The Religious Institution has the essential responsibility to impart knowledge of the character of our Creator and His expectations for us from His revealed instructions to us in the Bible.

This knowledge of God is necessary for the intimate friendship with God which must support obedience to God. Within that essential body of knowledge is the truth that God created mankind to enjoy friendship with Him, which is foundational to enjoying His full blessings. This friendship includes a quality of life that satisfies every need of the human heart. Jesus said:

I came that they have life and have it abundantly (John 10:10).

The author of the book of John within God’s instruction manual, the Bible, includes this insight:

… these are written so that you may believe Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and by believing you may have life in His name (John 20:31).

“By believing, you may have life in His name.” It is only through believing that we can have life. And we know that it is intended that every member of our society should have this life.
Hence, God has built within us a hunger for Himself – a hunger for God that we need to embrace and that we must encourage our fellow sojourners to embrace as well. The French mathematician Blaise Pascal summarized it:

There is a God-shaped vacuum in the heart of each man which cannot be satisfied by any created thing, but only by God the Creator made known through Jesus Christ.

It is this hunger that the religious leadership must encourage for every member and to ensure is met within every member of society. Those serving in the Religious Institution must ensure this teaching to every member of society. No one should be overlooked. We should be an encourager to everyone to seek a relationship with God for themselves. Jesus emphasized our need with this teaching:

What man among you, who has 100 sheep and loses one of them, does not leave the 99 in the open field and go after the lost one until he finds it? (Luke 15:4)

This requires teaching, modeling, persuading – making every conceivable effort so that every member in society may participate in and embrace the righteousness of God that will be a blessing for our nations. Furthermore, there must be a continual spiritual re-invigoration in the life of each member of society. This is not simply a once-in-a-lifetime spiritual invigoration, but must happen every day. God describes the process this way:

If…My people who are called by My name humble themselves, pray and seek My face, and turn from their evil ways, then I will hear from heaven, forgive their sin, and heal their land (2 Chronicles 7:14).

This is made all the more relevant by the fact that, in my understanding, there is not a single nation in the world where the Religious Institution is fulfilling the clear mandate God has given the ‘ecclesia’. As such, every nation and every people is missing out on the wonderful blessings God has promised to those who would obey Him and live in partnership with Him. Hence, we must begin by repenting and embracing the truth from our Creator.

Then we must continually allow our lives to experience this invigoration. This must happen on an ongoing basis. Through knowledge of God through studying His Word the Bible, He has given us the tools to fulfill this righteousness. It is literally Jesus living through us. God described it:

… He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son… (Romans 8:29).

Our Creator intended that our societies be made up of those who have embraced the character of Jesus Christ through His essential help. The Religious Institution must teach each member the practical aspects of loving and obeying God and overcoming our selfish aspirations that interfere with this:

I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me (Galatians 2:19-20).

We must be continually reminded to apply the truth:

If by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live (Romans 8:13).

As a result of this relationship with God and His living through us, He elaborated on the qualities that would result in our lives:

The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faith, gentleness, self-control (Galatians 5:22-23).

These nine characteristics are the result of allowing God to have His reign in our lives.
When Jesus was asked by religious leaders “What is the greatest commandment from God?”, He answered:

Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and most important command. The second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself. All the Law and the Prophets depend on these two commands (Matthew 23: 37-40).

This summarizes what our Creator expects of us. Notice that, as a result of loving God, we will be able to love ourselves as a special creation of our God, and, furthermore, we will be able to love others with whom our lives interact. The impact upon society is clear. Our person-to-person interactions will automatically reflect this reality.

It is not enough that we have knowledge about God. It must become intimate knowledge of God that is the basis for friendship with Him. It is essential that this friendship with our Creator serve as the basis for our obedience.

More than teaching obedience to God, the Religious Institution must model this obedience to God. The religious leadership must put aside any personal ambition for importance and pour themselves out in service to the people as servants, recognizing that they will receive eternal rewards for their earthly sacrifice. Those in leadership must view their roles as shepherds, nurturing the sheep as their primary responsibility. Leaders must be less concerned about their own importance within the religious community or within society than in serving. The issue was made clear to me one time when I was discussing this with a Foreign Minister. He described “If I were to walk into a gathering of religious leaders and you were to ask someone, ‘Who is the politician in the group?’, they would point to everyone else but me.” The religious leaders must recognize their need to selflessly serve their Master and the sheep for whom they have been given responsibility. Then and only then will they hear God’s commendation:

Well done, good and faithful servant (Matthew 25:21).

The end result is that we will learn to obey the One who is our best friend: Almighty God. As we take each step of obedience, it becomes clearer and clearer that we have done the correct thing and that we have strengthened our friendship with God, whose friendship is our richest treasure for all eternity. As this friendship and obedience is embraced throughout all of society, it will include those who are in Religious Institution, but also Family and Government. As this becomes prevalent throughout the nation, the nation will experience our Creator’s promise:

Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a disgrace to any people (Proverbs 14:34).

What is the Responsibility of leaders within Government?

1. As members of potentially all three institutions (Family, Religious, Government), we must lead the way in obeying our Creator in everything we do.
2. As Government decision-makers, we must avoid impeding the essential work of the Religious Institution, either through law passed or actions taken.
3. We must set an example for servanthood that will hopefully be contagious to everyone in every area of society.

The post The Role of the Religious Institution in National Obedience appeared first on CENTRE FOR STATECRAFT.

Mankind is most comfortable when there is a peaceful environment and an absence of crisis. Our Creator has designed us with this need. There are at this moment many sources of uncertainty in our nations.

Thus, the significance of what Jesus said:

Peace I leave with you. My peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Your heart must not be troubled or fearful (John 14:27).

We as humans have a need for peace. As a result, we have a need to be close to God.

And there is no rock like our God (1 Samuel 2:2).

Trust in Him at all times, you people… God is our refuge (Psalm 62:8).

For most people, He is a source of great assurance for us. And He has promised to be close by, to give us His security and even to protect us. Listen to these truths expressed by those who knew God:

You are near, Lord (Psalm 119:151).

The Lord is near all who call out to Him, all who call out to Him with integrity (Psalm 145:18).

The intended closeness is a constant reminder in His instruction book:

For what great nation is there that has a god near to it as the Lord our God is to us whenever we call to Him? (Deuteronomy 4:7)

The Lord is near the brokenhearted; He saves those crushed (Psalm 34:18).

What an amazing reality that the God of the Universe would provide this need that we have – that He would desire to have this closeness with us and provide us with this comfort.

There is the clear idea of an intimate relationship between God and man. The idea of distance between us and God is contrary to our Creator’s intent.  Hence, the question needs to be asked: “When God seems further away, who actually moved? Is it God, or is it us?” In reality, it is us.

Stepping away from God is an act of disobedience. As we have been told:

But your iniquities have built barriers between you and your God, and your sins have made Him hide His face from you so that He does not listen (Isaiah 59:2).

They seek Me day after day and delight to know My ways, like a nation that does what is right and does not abandon the justice of their God. They ask Me for righteous judgments; they delight in the nearness of God (Isaiah 58:2).

At times like this, it is worth considering what God said through the Apostle Paul to First Century Athenians who worshiped multiple gods, but not the one true God:

From one man He has made every nationality to live over the whole earth and has determined their appointed times and the boundaries of where they live. He did this so they might seek God, and perhaps they might reach out and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us (Acts 17:26-27).

How refreshing it is to be reminded that He is close at hand and will respond to us if only we will reach out to Him:

Be still and know that I am God (Psalm 46:10).

Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, sinners, and purify your hearts, double-minded people! (James 4:8).

One translation of this latter passage expresses it this way:

Come close to God, and God will come close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners; purify your hearts, for your loyalty is divided between God and the world.

When we seek God with all of our hearts and draw near to Him, we will feel His presence once again.

What is our responsibility as their leaders?

We must do everything we can to encourage this closeness for our people to the One who desires this intimate relationship with them.

King David encouraged his people to draw close to God with words such as these:

The righteous one rejoices in the Lord and takes refuge in Him (Psalm 64:10).

Abraham Lincoln, as President, challenged his people:

It is fit and becoming in all people, at all times, to acknowledge and revere the Supreme Government of God; to bow in humble submission to His chastisement; to confess and deplore their sins and transgressions in the full conviction that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; and to pray, with all fervency and contrition, for the pardon of their past offenses….

Secondly, we must cautiously and purposely govern with the goal of providing for the governed:

a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity (1 Timothy 2:2).

This is our responsibility before God. We have a stewardship, and He will hold us accountable.

Thirdly, we also are human beings with the same needs as all human beings. In the midst of the uncertainty challenging our nations, we need to be able to experience the peace that closeness to God that He provides.

WHAT AM I DOING TO ENSURE THAT I REMAIN CLOSE TO MY MAKER AND EXPERIENCE HIS PEACE EVERY DAY?

As we pause to celebrate coming of Jesus, let us see this event for what it is: God coming so near to us that we could see Him and touch Him.

The post The Role of the Statesman in the Midst of National Crisis appeared first on CENTRE FOR STATECRAFT.

We know very well that it is not sufficient just to begin well. If I were to ask who was the outstanding leader of all time, using external criteria of wealth, wisdom, grandeur, as well as avowed desire to obey God and to be His instrument, instinctively we would answer Solomon. And toward the beginning of his reign, this would seem to be correct. Looking at Solomon’s heart attitude as he expressed to God at the beginning of his reign:

“LORD my God, You have now made Your servant king in my father David’s place. Yet I am just a youth with no experience in leadership. Your servant is among Your people You have chosen, a people too numerous to be numbered or counted. So give Your servant an obedient heart to judge Your people and to discern between good and evil. For who is able to judge this great people of Yours?” (1 Kings 3:7-9)

Describing his intended reign, he said in the third person:

“…he will rescue the poor who cry out and the afflicted who have no helper. He will have pity on the poor and helpless and save the lives of the poor. He will redeem them from oppression and violence for their lives are precious in his sight.” (Psalms 72:12- 14)

In retrospect, perhaps no leader in history had more going for him to be a great leader. However, if we take a snapshot later in his reign, we see a different picture:

King Solomon loved many foreign women in addition to Pharaoh’s daughter: Moabite, Ammonite, Edomite, Sidonian, and Hittite women from the nations that the LORD had told the Israelites about, “Do not intermarry with them, and they must not intermarry with you, because they will turn you away from Me to their gods.” Solomon was deeply attached to these women and loved them. He had 700 wives who were princesses and 300 concubines, and they turned his heart away from the LORD. When Solomon was old, his wives seduced him to follow other gods. His heart was not completely with the LORD his God, as his father David’s heart had been. Solomon followed Ashtoreth, the goddess of the Sidonians, and Milcom, the detestable idol of the Ammonites. Solomon did what was evil in the LORD’s sight, and unlike his father David, he did not completely follow the LORD.” (1 Kings 11:1-6)

In Solomon’s case, the temptation he gave into was satisfaction of fleshly desires. Not only did Solomon fail in his personal life, he destroyed the kingdom God had given him. It was immediately divided after his death, and then the larger of those two divisions disappeared for all time. It cannot even be traced today. The temptation Solomon gave into is just one of many possibilities available to us. Nevertheless, it presents a vivid example.

The root of Solomon’s failings began at the very beginning of his reign as can be understood from these words:

“Solomon loved the LORD by walking in the statutes of his father David, but he also sacrificed and burned incense on the high places.” (1 Kings 3:3)

The latter was warned against and forbidden by God (Deuteronomy 12:2) and was an act of disobedience toward Him. Solomon held back part of his heart for himself rather than giving it all to his Lord. And it was this holding back from wholehearted obedience that placed him on the slippery slope to failure. I do not believe he intended to fall. However, beginning with a small step of disobedience that he allowed himself, he took one step after another that led to his complete failure.

As the Apostle Paul is about to be put to death, he wrote regarding one of his co-workers:

“Demas has deserted me, because he loved this present world, and has gone to Thessalonica.” (2 Timothy 4:10)

Demas had risked his life during the years Paul was imprisoned in Rome. He publicly identified with Paul throughout, when to do so was extremely dangerous. Finally, this devoted follower abandoned Paul and the Lord, never to be heard of again in Church history. My speculation is that he did not make a decision to turn evil, selling himself to the devil. Rather, I believe he began with one small step of disobedience in his thought life, which made it easier to take further steps in disobedience.

The exercise of office provides many temptations for us. The temptation(s) Solomon gave into are just some of the many possibilities. Our loving Father, knowing our nature warned us against this and provided an antidote.

The first step is to for our minds to be immersed in God’s Law. God instructs the head of government, presumably required of everyone operating under delegated authority from the head of government:

“It (God’s Law) is to be with him, and he is to read it all the days of his life so that he may learn to revere the LORD his God and follow carefully all the words of this law and these decrees … and turn from the law to the right or to the left.” (Deuteronomy 17:19- 20)

The more we look into the Law of God and into God’s face, the more we will recognize the temptations we may be subject to. Based upon the power of God available to us, we must actively take victory over those temptations as explained by the Apostle Paul:

“…for if you live according to the flesh, you are going to die. But if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.” (Romans 8:13)

The source of the power for the victory in our lives is: “…by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body”. We cannot even achieve this victory ourselves. We need the power of God. We are to depend on the power of God’s Spirit to put to death the temptations we face. We must immerse ourselves into God’s Word so that we can clearly see when temptation is luring us. Then, we must invoke the power of that same loving Father to put to death our intent to give into that temptation. We must invoke that power each moment as Paul described elsewhere:

“I have been crucified with Christ; and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.” Galatians 2:19-20)

We have been called by our Heavenly Father to be Statesmen. And we have been given the resources to succeed in that calling if we will faithfully use them. Let us not fail as Solomon did, or slip into a life without significance as Demas did, by carelessly walking away from all our Lord has for us. What Paul instructs the follower of Jesus Christ has all the more significance for the Statesman:

“Set your minds on what is above, not on what is on the earth.” (Colossians 3:2)

The Government decision-maker must set his or her mind on God and His principles. The lives of too many are at stake in the decisions we make to allow one’s mind to be distracted by anything less than the highest aspirations.

Set your minds on what is above, not on what is on the earth!

The post Regression from Statesman to Politician appeared first on CENTRE FOR STATECRAFT.

We have made the argument that the best way to ensure that we can operate as a Statesman is to allow ourselves to be an instrument in the hand of Almighty God. An essential part of being His instrument involves the capacity to receive His instructions.

This is where it becomes essential to know how to be listening for those instructions. We have a beautiful example of the Ethiopian Minister in the book of Acts:

“An angel of the Lord spoke to Philip (one of Jesus’ original disciples): “Get up and go south to the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” … So he got up and went. There was an Ethiopian man, a … high official of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, who was in charge of her entire treasury. He had come to worship in Jerusalem and was sitting in his chariot on his way home, reading the prophet Isaiah aloud. The Spirit told Philip, “Go and join that chariot.” When Philip ran up to it, he heard him reading the prophet Isaiah, and said, “Do you understand what you’re reading?” “How can I,” he said, “unless someone guides me?” So he invited Philip to come up and sit with him. Now the Scripture passage he was reading was this:

He was led like a sheep to the slaughter, and as a lamb is silent before its shearer, so He does not open His mouth. In His humiliation justice was denied Him. Who will describe His generation? For His life is taken from the earth.

The [official] replied to Philip, “I ask you, who is the prophet saying this about—himself or another person?” So Philip proceeded to tell him the good news about Jesus, beginning from that Scripture. As they were traveling down the road, they came to some water. The eunuch said, “Look, there’s water! What would keep me from being baptized?” And Philip said, “If you believe with all your heart you may.” And he replied, “I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.” Then he ordered the chariot to stop, and both Philip and the [official] went down into the water, and he baptized him. When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord carried Philip away, and the eunuch did not see him any longer. But he went on his way rejoicing.” (Acts 8:26-39).

We have valuable insight here into the way God works in the life of the official who is tender toward Him. Here we have the Minister of the Treasury or Finance, apparently highly trusted by the Head of Government. He was apparently very tender spiritually and prepared to hear from God. He put himself in a place where he could potentially hear from God. He had already traveled to Jerusalem to worship God. God often speaks when we are in a worship setting and worshiping our Lord. Worship can be, and must be, done privately. The more we can maintain an attitude of worship, the more God can speak to us.

Then, as he was traveling home, he placed himself in a further position to potentially hear from God by studying God’s instruction manual.

From historical evidence we recognize that God speaks to the leader. This is especially significant because of insight shared by Jesus as He taught His disciples:

“Blessed are the eyes that see what you see. For I tell you that many prophets and kings wanted to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.” (Luke 10:23-24).

From this, we must recognize that God attempts to work in the hearts of government decision-makers similar to the way He did with the Old Testament prophets. Hence, it seems imperative that leaders be prepared for God to speak to them and also to do everything they can to facilitate His doing this.

Elijah described God speaking; to him in “…a soft whisper” (1 Kings 19:12).

We have the example of God speaking to the prophet Samuel while still a young boy. After Samuel misunderstood God’s first two attempts to speak to Samuel, we have this record:

Now Samuel had not yet experienced the LORD, because the word of the LORD had not yet been revealed to him. Once again, for the third time, the LORD called Samuel. He got up, went to Eli (his mentor), and said, “Here I am; you called me.” Then Eli understood that the LORD was calling the boy. He told Samuel, “Go and lie down. If He calls you, say, ‘Speak, LORD, for Your servant is listening.’” So Samuel went and lay down in his place. The LORD came, stood there, and called as before, “Samuel, Samuel!” Samuel responded, “Speak, for Your servant is listening” (1 Samuel 3:7-10).

One of the great ways to hear God’s voice is by praying to Him. He has challenged us:

“Call to Me and I will answer you, and I will tell you great and mighty things, which you do not know.” (Jeremiah 33:3).

He has promised us:

“You will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you.” (Jeremiah 29:12).

Similarly, as we begin the practice of listening for God’s voice, it becomes clearer to recognize. President Lincoln had apparently recognized this as he expressed:

“I have had so many evidences of His direction, so many instances when I have been controlled by some other power than my own will, that I cannot doubt that this power comes from above. I frequently see my way clear to a decision when I have no sufficient facts upon which to found it. … I am satisfied that when the Almighty wants me to do or not to do a particular thing, He finds a way of letting me know it.”

As he expressed on another occasion, I believe Lincoln learned that the key is a commitment to obey that voice:

“If it is probable that God would reveal His will to others, on a point so connected to my duty, it might be supposed He would reveal it directly to me. … It is my earnest desire to know the will of Providence in this matter. And if I can learn what it is, I will do it!”

I am convinced that it was his commitment to obey that voice that opened the door to hearing it. This truth is elaborated in God’s Word:

“For it is God who is working in you, enabling you both to desire and to work out His good purpose.” (Philippians 2:13).

In keeping with what we learn from Lincoln and from God’s servants, may we pray:

God I am eager for You to speak to me, and when You do, I will do it!

The post The Statesman Is Prepared to Hear God’s Voice appeared first on CENTRE FOR STATECRAFT.

It is useful to pause and reflect on our responsibilities. The Creator of this whole system, within which we operate, has commanded leaders to shepherd those within their care:

Shepherd God’s flock among you, not overseeing out of compulsion but freely, according to God’s will; not for the money but eagerly; not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock. (1 Peter 5:2-3)

During times of crisis, there is major stress on the Statesman. However, at the same time, we must also be aware of the needs of the individual sheep within our folds. We are told that Jesus, “When He saw the crowds, He felt compassion for them, because they were weary and worn out, like sheep without a shepherd” (Matthew 9:36). Jesus was at this point teaching us how to view people – as “sheep without a shepherd”. There could not be a better illustration in understanding our peoples’ needs at this time. Literal sheep are among the most vulnerable of God’s noble creatures. Their capacity to defend themselves against danger is extremely limited. They are often powerless in facing their challenges and that leads to fear. We as shepherds are leading our people as we are forced into uncharted territory – what for the sheep is dangerous and frightening – filled with frightening scenarios. If we are healthy, we have a healthy concern as well. And we must deal with our fears. However, in the midst of this, we must be sensitive to the fears of our sheep.

Man has amazing capacity for hope and we must feed that hope. God has a history for providing for the sheep in each and every nation. As we seek to instill hope, we must remind them of this truth – that our Lord has never let us down. Hope does not come from our ability as human beings and as leaders. Rather, it comes from the proven track record of our Creator and our Lord:

God has given us His rich promises through several of His servants:

King David: Rest in God alone, my soul, for my hope comes from Him. (Psalm 62:5) King David: You answer us in righteousness, with awe-inspiring works, God of our salvation, the hope of all the ends of the earth and of the distant seas. (Psalm 65:5) You are my shelter and my shield; I put my hope in Your word (i.e., promises). (Psalm 119:114)

King David reminds us:

Be strong and courageous, all you who put your hope in the Lord. (Psalm 31:24)

We must lead our sheep to that hope rather than expecting them to build their hope on us or our ability. Both shepherd and sheep must have a healthy respect for what we face. We must make sure the sheep know where to go in order to drink and be satisfied. Jesus tells us:

If anyone is thirsty, he should come to Me and drink! (John 7:37)

We, as their shepherds, must be filled up and then we can give out to the sheep – help them come to the springs of life, and be satisfied.

We, as shepherds, must be confident as we lead and as we instill hope. Hence, we must make sure we are coming continually to the springs of life. If we are less than confident, God’s words remind us:

I will lead the blind by a way they did not know; I will guide them on paths they have not known. I will turn darkness to light in front of them and rough places into level ground. This is what I will do for them, and I will not forsake them. (Isaiah 42:16)

King David, based upon his life experience as a shepherd boy, reminds us:

The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for His name’s sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD forever. (Psalm 23)

God reminds us through the prophet Daniel:

The people who know their God will be strong and take action. (Daniel 11:32)

After we have gone to our Shepherd, drunk deeply from Him, and been satisfied, then, we must instill that same sense of hope and confidence in the sheep. In the process, we must teach the sheep to appropriate God’s promises.

At the same time that we are seeking to make their grazing lands safe, we must also address their hurts. This is a huge burden for the shepherd who may feel beyond his or her resources at this time.

Jesus illustrates the heart attitude of the true shepherd at the time the sheep are in danger:

I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. The hired man, since he is not the shepherd and doesn’t own the sheep, leaves them and runs away when he sees a wolf coming. The wolf then snatches and scatters them. This happens because he is a hired man and doesn’t care about the sheep. (John 10:11-13)

God Himself challenges us:

Call to Me and I will answer you and tell you great and incomprehensible things you do not know. (Jeremiah 33:3)

Jesus challenges to us:

Come to Me, all of you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. All of you, take up My yoke and learn from Me, because I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for yourselves. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light. (Matthew 11:28-30)

The post The Statesman as Shepherd During a Time of Crisis appeared first on CENTRE FOR STATECRAFT.

The Statesman faces a dilemma while operating within democratic governance. The Statesman cannot single-handedly enact legislation to support his/her vision without the help of those who are largely Politicians. Hence, one of the greatest challenges the Statesman faces is influencing those who are Politicians to support his/her vision. We have already argued that the Statesman is not yet the norm. Rather, the self-interested Politician is. In this current era of governance, we need significant numbers to support the vision of the Statesman. Hence, the Statesman will not succeed unless he/she can influence Politicians to achieve a common vision. In effect, our goal must be to motivate those who are naturally Politicians to become statesmanlike.

We have an effective example in George Catlett Marshall who, as a Statesman, was more concerned with doing good, using the authority at his disposal rather than aspiring to a higher position. His great genius was the way he brought out the best in those who governed with him. Marshall’s efforts to achieve what became called the Marshall Plan for the rebuilding of Europe after World War II provide a beautiful example of this trait of the Statesman: the capacity to make his vision contagious and draw others into it, including those from the opposition. Some of those Marshall drew into his effort and whom he motivated to statesmanlike behavior were: Senator Arthur Vandenberg, Will Clayton, Richard Bissell, Paul Hoffman, W. Averell Harriman, Ernest Bevin, Jean Monet, Robert Schuman. As an example, Senator Vandenberg was the key member of the U.S. Senate controlled by the opposition party, whose support he needed to procure the necessary Government funding. The partnership between these two leaders, whose party affiliations opposed each other, is a beautiful example of rising above party for the good of the people. Marshall was apparently able to appeal to the humanity, or the heart, in those whose cooperation he needed.

As an aside, bipartisanship should not be surprising. The goals of the Statesman do not belong to a particular party but rather belong to the well-being of humanity. As such, regardless of party and political differences, all should be able to support them. Nevertheless, the Statesman must convince those preoccupied with party to share the same human goals.

A corollary of this is that the Statesman has a different attitude toward the opposition than the Politician does. I believe that one of the most important relationships in the life of the Statesman is with those in the opposition. 1 They will help us to see potential blind spots. One official shared with me that his father was the Leader of the Opposition in the early days after independence of his nation. In Parliament, his father was sharply critical of the Prime Minister. However, every time his father visited the village, he brought back bushels of produce that he then took to the residence of the Prime Minister. Privately, they were close friends. I am convinced that those in the opposition should be among our closest friends. We need their perspectives.

What are options available to the Statesman to motivate those around him/her to statesmanlike behavior? We have already argued that the most effective way to operate as a Statesman is to govern under the guidance of our Creator. If we could facilitate those in the governing class gaining this perspective, it could potentially be the most effective method of all. Thus, it could also contribute to ensuring continuing statesmanlike behavior after us. An example is the effort by one 21st Century Prime Minister who challenged those serving in Government with him, beginning with his own testimony of the need for God’s help:

I needed assistance, direction and strength that even my family, friends and colleagues could not give. I realised that the support I was looking for could only come from God. To that point, my relationship with my Maker was something I didn’t think much about. I took it for granted. I suppose I was one of those lukewarm Christians, who coasted along in the hope that if I generally behaved myself and said my prayers I would get to Heaven. That was not enough to sustain me in my new job as Prime Minister. Increasingly, I found myself turning to God. I submitted myself in total surrender and obedience to our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. As I seek knowledge and wisdom through constant prayer and from daily readings of God’s Holy Word, I opened my heart to the Holy Spirit to counsel me and guide me. Ladies and gentlemen, I can tell you that this truly is the Way; for it is God Himself who is the real leader of a nation. And it is only in Him and from Him that we can be blessed as individuals, as communities, as organizations and as a country.

Here is a leader of Government challenging those serving in Government to submit to the guidance which God provides. If we could motivate those who serve with us to view themselves as God’s instruments on behalf of the people and to learn to depend upon His guidance, I am confident we would find ourselves working more harmoniously. This strikes me as being the ultimate in Statesmen challenging the teachable to become Statesmen.

Another long-range approach would be challenging the Religious Institution, e.g. the Church, to fulfill its God-given responsibility as “the pillar and foundation of the truth” 2 from God our Creator to every segment of His creation, including Government. As a part of the Church myself, I quickly acknowledge that we in the Church have not fulfilled our responsibility in this area. I would support you in galvanizing the Church to fulfill this responsibility.

References

1. Gary I. Allen, “Relationships Essential for Maximizing the Effectiveness of the Head of Government and His Cabinet”, in Leadership for Nation Building, 3rd ed. (2010), pp. 107-114.

2. Bible, 1 Timothy 3:15.

The post The statesman creates statesmanlike behaviour in those around him/her, including inducing members of the opposition, to participate in the vision appeared first on CENTRE FOR STATECRAFT.