LEADERS AND LOSERS

If it is evil in your sight to serve Yahweh, choose for yourselves today whom you will serve: whether the gods which your fathers served which were beyond the River or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living; but as for me and my house,

 we will serve Yahweh. Joshua 24:15

• A leader knows what to fight for and what to compromise on. A loser compromises on what he should not and fights for what isn't worth fighting for. 

• A leader goes through a problem; a loser goes around it.

• A leader says, “I’m good, but not as good as I ought to be”. A loser says, “Well, I’m not as bad as a lot of other people.”

• A leader looks up to where he is going. A loser looks down at those who’ve not yet achieved the position he has. 

One great contrast between a leader and a loser is found in the biblical account of Athaliah and Jehoida (2 Chronicles 22:10-23:21). A leader makes commitments; a loser makes promises. Leaders have dreams; losers have schemes. Leaderssay, “I must do something”; losers say, “Something must be done.” Leaders are a part of the team; losers are apart from the team.

Jehoida was committed to the Lord no matter what the personal cost. He was an example of Psalm 15:4c following in the path of King David. “He swears to his own hurt and does not change.” This is easy to say but think about the danger in which he lived. Notice the connection between 2 Chron. 22:12 and the next chapter, verse 1. How did he strengthen himself? The context tells us that the captains of hundreds joined with him. That will strengthen you! But how did he know that they would join with him? He didn’t. It took prayer. It took risk. It took putting his life on the line. Dear friend, are you a leader? 

Ike Graham