Leading like a Lion

Chapter 1—Leading like a Lion
And one of the elders saith unto me, Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, hath prevailed.
—Revelation 5:5 (KJV)
Alexander the Great said, “An army of sheep, led by a lion, is better than an army of lions led by a sheep.”
When the leader’s mind is weak, opposition is a problem. When the leader’s mind is simply balanced, the opposition is challenging. When the leader’s mind is strong, the opposition becomes an opportunity. Just knowing what is right is not good enough; we must do what is right. Lead like a lion.
Napoleon Bonaparte said, “If you build an army of one hundred lions and their leader is a dog, in any fight, the lions will die like a dog. But if you build an army of one hundred dogs and their leader is a lion, all dogs will fight as a lion.”
Author and motivational speaker Jim Rohn said, “The challenge of leadership is to be strong, but not rude; be kind, but not weak; be bold, but not bully; be thoughtful, but not lazy; be humble, but not timid; be proud, but not arrogant; have humor, but without folly.”
Let us consider three characteristics of a lion.
1. The Lion Is Not Intimidated
“The wicked flee when no man pursueth: but the righteous are bold as a lion” (Proverbs 28:1 KJV).
There is a spirit of intimidation roaming free in our land. Bullies roam the playgrounds of our public schools; activist judges are no longer interpreting the law but choosing to impose their own agendas on the citizens of this great nation. I am ashamed to say that these tactics are no longer confined to the public arena but have made their way into the church. In some cases, members with money or prominent parishioners are bent on imposing their will upon the church of the living God. Few will stand up to the intimidator for fear of losing tithe or perhaps membership moving on to a hireling’s church. We must lead like lions! We must not back down. A lion does not bow to the opinion of a mouse. Journalist Herbert Swope said, “I can’t give you a sure-fire formula for success, but I can give you a formula for failure: try to please everybody all the time.”
2. The Lion Is Not an Isolationist
“The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together” (Isaiah 11:6–9 KJV).
Lions are the only cat that forms social groups. Could it be that in our attempt to retain personal purity, we isolate ourselves out of fear of being contaminated? We should be insulated, but not isolated. How can we be salt and light, as Christ commanded, if we are confined inside our four walls? The condition called isolation can become so acute that we can disfellowship everyone until we are the only fellow in our ship! How sad.
Abraham Lincoln said, “Believing everyone is dangerous, but believing nobody is more dangerous.” We must not mix and mingle with the world. Doctrinal issues cannot be compromised. However, when we separate over preferences, we are practicing the first page in the devil’s playbook. We need one another.
At the Richland Holiness Camp Meeting in the 1980s, Bro. Ralph Cox said that the Swiss had developed a device that would split the human hair 250 different ways. He said it reminded him of some church people.
In the late 1800s, there were two deacons in a small Baptist church in Mayfield, Kentucky. They didn’t get along and opposed each other in any decision relating to the church. One particular Sunday, a deacon put up a small wooden peg on the back wall so the minister could hang up his hat. When the other deacon discovered the peg, he was outraged that he had not been consulted. Parishioners in the church took sides, and eventually there was a split congregation. To this day, they say you can find, in Mayfield, Kentucky, the Anti-Peg Baptist Church.
Lincoln said, “Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man’s character, give him power.” Lead like a lion!
3. The Lion Is Not Inferior
“A lion which is strongest among beasts, and turneth not away for any” (Proverbs 30:30 KJV)
Eleanor Roosevelt said, “No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.” How many businesses, churches, and homes suffer because of inferiority? Let us come to grips that there will always be someone better than us. How much better we would be to enjoy the talents and abilities of others and count them as a blessing to our life. On the contrary, one can find reason to exclude them from our lives because we cannot stand that they are better than us.
Secure people are happy for others’ success. They encourage the vision, stoke the fire, and offer advice they have learned from the school of hard knocks while reaching for greater things. Author Orrin Woodward said, “Average leaders raise the bar on themselves; good leaders raise the bar for others; great leaders inspire others to raise their own bar.”
As leaders, we cannot afford to be afraid to ask for help. Jeffery Benjamin said, “A sign of strength is seen in one who asks for help.” Great leaders surround themselves with people who are better than themselves. Many leaders suffer from atelophobia, which is the fear of not being good enough. I feel there are many congregations suffering for lack of staff. Consider the cycle; the local church takes an upswing, attendance increases, and finances are more readily available, but there is a leader at the top who will not relinquish any authority to an assistant/youth pastor/lay leader. Senior pastors may be fearful, knowing that the help they bring could gain favor and split the church. Therefore, many times unintentionally, a leader slams the lid on the growth, and by default the church begins to decline. My personal experience has been that when the time comes to secure a second man, he should be talented enough to split the church but loyal enough not to. Do not be intimidated. Lead like a lion!
“They shall walk after the Lord: he shall roar like a lion: when he shall roar, then the children shall tremble” (Hosea 11:10 KJV).