The Statesman, I am convinced, wishes to invest his or her life in the most significant way to improve quality of life for fellow humans. For decades, I have been privileged to walk alongside Statesmen. I have been greatly influenced by listening to their hearts. As I think of the desire of Statesmen to live a life of significance, I think of a brief commentary that I read early in my adult life that has greatly impacted the remainder of my life. It is by A.W. Tozer and is entitled “On Breeding Spotted Mice”, click the button below to read:

On Breading Spotted Mice

I encourage you to read this before proceeding. This commentary describes a man who, because he was independently wealthy and did not need to work to support himself, invested his whole life in attempting to breed the perfect spotted mouse. This commentary ultimately addresses the issue of investing our lives in such a way to make the greatest contribution upon our fellow humans during the limited time we have. Interestingly, it goes beyond the impact of our earthly lifetime in making an impact. The commentator concludes that man made in the image of God must invest with eternity in mind. This, of course, begins with investing in our own eternal destiny, then, investing in other humans and their eternal destiny. Our Creator addresses this issue through one of His servants:

You are … God’s building. According to God’s grace that was given to me, I have laid a foundation as a skilled master builder… But each one must be careful how he builds on it. For no one can lay any other foundation than what has been laid down. That foundation is Jesus Christ. If anyone builds on that foundation with gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay, or straw, each one’s work will become obvious, for the day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire; the fire will test the quality of each one’s work. If anyone’s work that he has built survives, he will receive a reward. If anyone’s work is burned up, it will be lost, but he will be saved [based upon having the foundation of Jesus]; yet it will be like an escape through fire (1 Corinthians 3:9-15).

Our Creator describes that we must lay a foundation for our lives, consisting of Jesus. Based upon that foundation, we build in such a way as to last or otherwise perish. We are clearly admonished to build in a way that will survive when tested with fire at the conclusion of our earthly lives. With this perspective, what should the Statesman invest in as goals? We have the opportunity to invest our lives recognizing the eternal significance of the human life. And we recognize that we are accountable for each life we are responsible for. This is where the object of our discussion failed in investing his life in breeding the perfect spotted mouse. As servants to our fellow human beings, we have the opportunity to invest in eternal beings, perhaps the greatest of all opportunities.

It is frequently worth taking stock of our lives and recognizing what goals we work toward that may be of no greater significance than this sad man’s investing in breeding the perfect spotted mouse. As beings with an eternal destiny, we want to invest our lives in efforts with eternal significance.

APPLICATION TO THE LIFE OF THE STATESMAN:

• What are the goals in my life that have eternal significance as I invest in them?
• What are goals in my life that may distract me from improving the quality of life of my fellow humans and may be akin to breeding the perfect spotted mouse?
• When I envision making life better for my fellow humans, does my concern extend to the quality of their eternal life?

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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.

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The Statesman is first and foremost a leader drawn out of the community to serve the people in achieving the well-being our Creator designed for the people. The Statesman, remembering who he or she is, then identifies with those he or she is called to serve. Hence, what pains the people will pain the Statesman. God’s instruction manual reminds us what we are to do when we face challenges beyond our human ability, as we inevitably will:

So we called out to Yahweh, the God of our fathers, and the LORD heard our cry and saw our misery, hardship, and oppression (Deuteronomy 26:7).

With full confidence expressed to God:

If disaster comes on us—sword or judgment, pestilence or famine—we will stand before this temple and before You, for Your name is in this temple. We will cry out to You because of our distress, and You will hear and deliver (2 Chronicles 20:9).

How does this apply to Statesmen? Our Creator often employs the metaphor of the shepherd regarding the sheep to describe the governing process:

Wail, you shepherds, and cry out. Roll in the dust, you leaders of the flock (Jeremiah 25:34).

King David, at a time when his very survival was at stake:

The righteous cry out, and the LORD hears, and delivers them from all their troubles (Psalm 34:17).

David could testify that our Lord does hear “and deliver” when we cry out to Him.

One of God’s spokesmen promised:

At that time, when you call, the LORD will answer; when you cry out, He will say, ‘Here I am’ (Isaiah 58:9).

‘Here I am’ — as if He is just waiting to respond when we acknowledge our need, humble ourselves, say we cannot overcome the challenge by ourselves, and ask Him to rescue us.

Once the Statesman learns to be forthright with our Creator, he or she will certainly show tenderness and compassion toward those of the people crying out in turn to him or her. King Solomon, speaking in the third person, describes this corresponding tenderness when he said:

For he will rescue the poor who cry out and the afflicted who have no helper (Psalm 72:12).

King Solomon, elsewhere described the necessity for the Statesman to display the same compassion toward the hurting people as he expects his Creator to show toward him:

The one who shuts his ears to the cry of the poor will himself also call out and not be answered (Proverbs 21:13).

God instructs us that in especially challenging times, we must cry out to God as a nation:

Announce a sacred fast; proclaim an assembly! Gather the elders and all the residents of the land at the house of the LORD your God, and cry out to the LORD (Joel 1:14).

‘Elders’ refers to the societal leaders. There are times when the challenges become so great that the whole nation must stop what it is doing, come together, and cry out to our Lord for help together. When our human efforts are not achieving a solution, and when changing our approach to the problem is not gaining a solution, we reach a point where doubling our effort is nothing short of insanity and we must recognize our need for divine help.

All of this argues for Statesmen working as closely as possible with the One who ultimately reigns over our nations, operating as His human representative on behalf of the people.

We must talk with Him so closely and intimately that when crisis comes, we can immediately approach Him as close Friend, not stranger. Let us deepen our relationship each day, adding our ability to cry out to Him quickly and in expectation whenever challenge should come.

As we do cry out to God, let us be prepared for Him to respond in greater measure than we ask, for He also said:

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

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God made an astounding promise to Abraham, the father of ancient Israel:

all the peoples on earth will be blessed through you (Genesis 12:3).

This promise is repeated numerous times. Let us seek to understand what it was that made this promise applicable to other nations:

Abraham is to become a great and powerful nation, and all the nations of the earth will be blessed through him. For I have chosen him so that he will command his children and his house after him to keep the way of the Lord by doing what is right and just. This is how the Lord will fulfill to Abraham what He promised him (Genesis 18:18-19).

What was it that God asked of Abraham as the basis of installing His blessing upon the nations? Simply stated, it was:

to keep the way of the Lord by doing what is right and just.

We learn more as God repeated His promise to Abraham’s son Isaac:

I will be with you and bless you.… I will confirm the oath that I swore to your father Abraham…. all the nations of the earth will be blessed by your offspring… 

As God proceeded with Isaac, He provided more insight into the key to that blessing:

… because Abraham listened to My voice and kept My mandate, My commands, My statutes, and My instructions (Genesis 26:3-5).

Clearly, the uniqueness of Israel may only partly be understood by the human mind. It was the people through whom His Saviour for mankind would come. Israel was also to be a visible teaching lesson to all the nations. God’s interaction with Israel would be a visible demonstration of God’s character as it applies to nations. Israel would be an object lesson for every other nation of the blessings God desires to bestow upon every nation, with the clear understanding that each nation would listen to His voice and obey His instructions.

God provided a clear measuring stick for Israel which we must understand applies to our nations as well in evaluating whether our nations are experiencing God’s intended blessings:

Now if you faithfully obey the Lord your God and are careful to follow all His commands I am giving you today… All these blessings will come and overtake you, because you obey the Lord your God: You will be blessed in the city and blessed in the country. Your descendants will be blessed, and your land’s produce, and the offspring of your livestock, including the young of your herds and the newborn of your flocks. Your basket and kneading bowl will be blessed. You will be blessed when you come in and blessed when you go out… The Lord will make you prosper abundantly with children, the offspring of your livestock, and your land’s produce in the land the Lord swore to your fathers to give you. The Lord will open for you His abundant storehouse, the sky, to give your land rain in its season and to bless all the work of your hands … you will only move upward and never downward if you listen to the Lord your God’s commands I am giving you today and are careful to follow them. Do not turn aside to the right or the left from all the things I am commanding you today, and do not go after other gods to worship them (Deuteronomy 28:1-14).

Can our vision for our nations be any greater than this? Let us continue with God’s clarification:

But if you do not obey the Lord your God by carefully following all His commands and statutes I am giving you today, all these curses will come and overtake you: You will be cursed in the city and cursed in the country. Your basket and kneading bowl will be cursed. Your descendants will be cursed, and your land’s produce, the young of your herds, and the newborn of your flocks. You will be cursed when you come in and cursed when you go out…because of the wickedness of your actions in abandoning Me…. You will sow much seed in the field but harvest little, because locusts will devour it… All these curses will come, pursue, and overtake you until you are destroyed, since you did not obey the Lord your God and keep the commands and statutes He gave you. These curses will be a sign and a wonder against you and your descendants forever. Because you didn’t serve the Lord your God with joy and a cheerful heart, even though you had an abundance of everything,… If you are not careful to obey all the words of this law, which are written in this scroll, by fearing this glorious and awesome name—Yahweh, your God— He will bring extraordinary plagues on you and your descendants, severe and lasting plagues, and terrible and chronic sicknesses (Deuteronomy 28:15-59).

As we get to know the character of our God, we recognize that He desires to show love and bestow His blessings upon every human being. His desire is to bless and not to harm. His character is expressed:

“For I know the plans I have for you”—this is the Lord’s declaration— “plans for your welfare, not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope” (Jeremiah 29:11).

However, He only asks that we give Him His proper place in our lives individually and as nations. Israel was intended to be a visible demonstration of what our Creator would do for the nation that would obey Him.

As we evaluate our nations using the measuring stick of blessing and withholding of intended blessing from our Heavenly Father, where does my nation lie? If I perceive that my nation is not receiving the blessing He intends, what steps can I and my people take? God gave this prescription to the God-fearing people in ancient Israel:

If I close the sky so there is no rain, or if I command the grasshopper to consume the land, or if I send pestilence on My people, and 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 7:13-14).

This must also be considered the prescribed course of action for those of every nation.

The post The Statesman Considers Our Creator’s Hand upon the Nation appeared first on CENTRE FOR STATECRAFT.

The analogy of the shepherd caring for the sheep seems appropriate when considering the process of Government decision-makers operating on behalf of the governed.

Ted Sorensen, special counsel to President John Kennedy, described that the “ideal” White House decision-making process should encompass:

…first: agreement on the facts; second: agreement on the overall policy objective; third: a precise definition of the problem; fourth: a canvassing of all possible solutions, with all their shades and variation; fifth: a list of all the possible consequences that would flow from each solution; sixth: a recommendation and final choice of one alternative; seventh: the communication of that selection; and eighth: provision for its execution.

This is clearly a cautious approach in order to ensure that decisions are made correctly. This reminds us of the need for a cautious and thorough response to the needs of the sheep. And it represents compassion for the sheep. This makes sense when we remember that six times in His instruction manual, God refers to the people as “sheep without a shepherd” (Matthew 9:36). Responding to this, Jesus taught:

I am the good shepherd. I know My own sheep, and they know Me, as the Father knows Me, and I know the Father. I lay down My life for the sheep. (John 10:14-15)

Jesus’ compassion for the sheep He saw as “without a shepherd” provides an interesting analogy to the challenges facing those who make decisions on behalf of others. The goal is to make decisions truly in the best interest of the sheep. Jesus said: “I know My own sheep”. Jesus is speaking of knowing who the sheep truly are and what they need as attempts are made to make decisions to best meet those needs.

Why should we consider the analogy of “sheep without a shepherd”? Sheep are extremely insecure, easily frightened animals. They are unable to defend themselves against the challenges that lurk around them. Here, the analogy is clear as the challenges facing humans are often beyond their capacity to overcome by employing their own limited resources. They are extremely vulnerable and need the protection of good-hearted shepherds making decisions to protect them.

Humans, as sheep, live with a multitude of fears. Human shepherds present us with a picture for the Statesman. What we can learn from the analogy of the shepherd in becoming Statesmen?

1. Listening to the sheep. The lives of most Government decision-makers are far removed from the lives of those on behalf of whom they make life-impacting decisions. President Abraham Lincoln provided an amazing example of listening to the needs of his flock. He had an “open door policy” to his office that allowed individuals to address needs directly to the President without an appointment during several blocks of time each week. He made it a priority to listen to the people from all levels of society to gauge their thinking and their needs on a variety of subjects. Rather than rushing to action, he took the time to hear their hearts before acting. Hence, it seems ironic that the Government decision-maker would ever consider that the needs of the people should ever get in the way of the “more important” work of Government.
2. Compassion. After hearing hearts, the shepherd applies compassion for the sheep in determining the course of action. Remember that Jesus gave us the model when he said “I lay down My life for the sheep.” This level of compassion gives the sheep confidence in the shepherd and gives the best hope for decisions being made in their interest.
3. Knowing what the governed really need, not just what they say they need. This is where it is essential to know what our Maker wants for His creation, not necessarily what we imagine for His creation or even what His creatures ask for. In Isaiah 55:8-9, God warns us to be careful about thinking we are adequate in our own understanding:
   

   “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.”

   We are warned against thinking that discern the appropriate decision in our own wisdom. Our thoughts are not automatically the same as His thoughts. And the sheep’s thoughts are not His thoughts. Both the thoughts of the sheep and the shepherds can be dangerously misled by our human blind-spots.

We must remember that there is one Over-Shepherd with a plan for great blessing and that Government decision-makers are under-shepherds responsible to carry out those plans.

This is where we must remember to appeal to our all-knowing, wise Heavenly Father for wisdom:

Now if any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives to all generously and without criticizing, and it will be given to him (James 1:5).

What must I do to become more like the Good Shepherd (Jesus) in caring for the sheep entrusted to me?

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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!

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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!

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The challenges that those serving in Government face are daunting, often seemingly insurmountable.  A similar challenge was faced in my nation a century and a half ago. We, in the U.S., had a Civil War that split the nation into irreconcilable factions, seemingly ending this as a unified nation. The man who attempted to solve this was Abraham Lincoln. I believe the key to his success was the heart attitude he expressed on multiple occasions:

In the very responsible position in which I happen to be placed, being a humble instrument in the hands of our Heavenly Father, as I am.

I hold myself in my present position and with the authority vested in me as an instrument of Providence.

He viewed himself as an instrument in the hands of Almighty God. When I hear those words, I think of the surgeon holding the scalpel – the surgical knife. In considering this analogy, one recognizes that it is not the scalpel that is so important but rather the hand holding it. The instrument does not do anything on its own, but makes itself dependent upon the hand holding it. When the surgery is completed, it is the hand that receives the acclaim, not the knife. At the same time, if anything goes wrong, it is the hand that receives the criticism.

I believe there is no more critical area in which to be God’s instrument than in Government, especially in building a nation to become the place where all are blessed as God intends:

so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity (1 Timothy 2:2).

God’s intent is clear that we are to be God’s instrument. Part of the mechanism for being guided by His hand is made clear within His instruction for the first Head of Government under His guidance

And when he sits on the throne of his kingdom, he shall write for himself in a book a copy of this law, approved by the Levitical priests. And it shall be with him, and he shall read in it all the days of his life, that he may learn to fear the Lord his God by keeping all the words of this law and these statutes, and doing them, that his heart may not be lifted up above his brothers, and that he may not turn aside from the commandment, either to the right hand or to the left (Deuteronomy 17:18-20).

Each is to immerse in God’s instructions that they first write out in their own hand for their own use, and then meditate upon daily. This is fascinating in an age when traditional thinking calls for “separation of Church and State.” The Head of Government, and presumably all officials operating under delegated authority from the Head of Government, are to write out the Law of God from the Bible. This group is the only one I know of that is asked to write the Law of God for their use in fulfilling their responsibilities. I, as a Bible teacher, am not even asked to do this and no other group than Government decision-makers is identified as required by our Creator to do that. Furthermore, this reminds us of just how important Government decision-makers are in God’s plan and of His plan for them to be His instruments.

God Himself gave this insight in facing the challenge of knowing His mind in making decisions as His instrument:

For My thoughts are not your thoughts, and your ways are not My ways. 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).

It is not enough to want to be obedient to God. We must recognize that our well intentioned wisdom is not adequate and we must seek His wisdom – His direct guidance. The mindset required is described by God in these words:

Mankind, He has told you what is good and what it is the Lord requires of you: to act justly, to love faithfulness, and to walk humbly with your God (Micah 6:8).

Notice, God’s servant here focuses on the same characteristic as Lincoln when he described himself as “a humble instrument in the hands of our Heavenly Father” – that in order to be used, we must humble ourselves in the same way as the simple scalpel. As we seek to be God’s instrument, He facilitates this in several ways. He speaks to us:

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

Then, we have the example of how God would behave as a human being through Jesus. Jesus is referred to as Emmanuel, which means “God with us”. Hence, an essential component of becoming God’s instrument involves studying the life of Jesus, then seeking to emulate His life, always asking “What would Jesus do if He were making this decision instead of me?” If, in every decision I make, I were to ask that question, who would in reality be living my life. It would mean Jesus living through me. In actuality, it means allowing Jesus to live His life through us, as expressed by His servant Paul:

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).

Returning to the analogy with the surgeon holding the scalpel, the surgeon is dependent upon the scalpel responding exactly as he intends. The scalpel is rigid and inflexible so that THE INSTRUMENT perfectly carries out the will of the hand of the surgeon.  Anything less would likely spell disaster. In the same way, we must respond perfectly and quickly to His will. When we do not view ourselves as His instrument and respond accordingly, we risk great damage to our people.

As we carry the analogy of the surgeon and the scalpel a step further, we recognize that the care our Heavenly Father has for those who serve Him as His instrument far surpasses that provided by the surgeon. Our Heavenly Father does not use His instruments and then discard them. He reminds us:

I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore, I have continued to extend faithful love to you (Jeremiah 31:3).

There is no more satisfying place to be than in His loving hand as His instrument.

CONSIDERATIONS FOR THE STATESMAN.

• Do I view myself as operating under God’s direction, and upon His instruction, literally an “instrument in the hands of God”?
• Am I willing to trust the hand that is attempting to hold me as His instrument?
• Reflecting that President Lincoln referred to himself not only as “an instrument in the hands of God”, but as a “humble instrument”, am I able to humble myself before my ultimate Master?

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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)

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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.

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