But Moses pleaded with the Lord, “O Lord, I’m not very good with words. I never have been, and I’m not now, even though you have spoken to me. I get tongue-tied, and my words get tangled.” Then the Lord asked Moses, “Who makes a person’s mouth? Who decides whether people speak or do not speak, hear or do not hear, see or do not see? Is it not I, the Lord? Now go! I will be with you as you speak, and I will instruct you in what to say.”— Exodus 4:10-12
A rich businessman once held a dinner party to which Calvin Coolidge had been invited. After Coolidge left, the man remarked that he thought Coolidge would one day make a good president of the United States. Some disagreed, feeling Coolidge lacked the personality and charisma needed to hold such a high office.
The man’s six-year-old daughter spoke up. “I like him,” she said, holding up her pointer finger with a bandage around it. “He was the only one at the party who asked me about my hurt finger.”
“And that’s exactly why he would be a great president,” added her father.
People very often value charm or charisma in their leaders over and above things like character and compassion. But the truth is, attractive personalities in leaders are often nothing more than a façade to mask their shortcomings.
Things like charisma and an attractive personality aren’t necessarily bad. But a good leader must have much more.
So instead of counting yourself out as a leader simply because you think you don’t have the right personality, look inside to the gifts God has given you, like compassion, wisdom, and character. When you do, you’ll find you do have what it takes to be a spiritual leader to others.
Prayer Challenge
Ask God to open your eyes to the gifts He’s given you that you can use to lead others.
Questions for thought
When you think of a great leader, what leadership characteristics come to mind?
What might be the advantages of having a leader who focuses less on personality and more on things like compassion and wisdom?