Daniel 1:3-4
New International Version (NIV)
Then the king ordered Ashpenaz, chief of his court officials, to bring into the king’s service some of the Israelites from the royal family and the nobility—young men without any physical defect, handsome, showing aptitude for every kind of learning, well informed, quick to understand, and qualified to serve in the king’s palace.
For meditation
King Nebuchadnezzar needed some young men to come into his service from the royal house of Judah, and these were his preferred qualities: Young men with no physical defect, handsome, showing aptitude for every kind of learning, well informed, quick to understand, and qualified to serve (Daniel 1:3-4).
God also put out His list of preferred qualities for men to come into His service in the church. Above reproach, faithful to his wife, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach. Someone who has not given himself to drunkenness, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not lovers of money (1 Timothy 3:2-3). They must be men who hold on to the truths of the faith with a clear conscience (8-9), who love what is good, self-controlled, upright, holy, and disciplined (Titus 1:8).
When you contrast these two lists, what do you see? Do you realize the difference in values?
When we juxtapose these two lists, the disparity in values becomes glaringly apparent. Society may place a premium on physical and intellectual prowess, beauty, and worldly knowledge in its leaders, but God’s standards are markedly different. He values integrity, honesty, fidelity, faithfulness, holiness, and comportment. This stark divergence in values is not just a point of difference, but a profound revelation that can help us understand the chaos and turmoil in the world today.
The first list lacks integrity, which is crucial for keeping everything together. Without morality, social, economic, political, and religious systems cannot have integrity. Tragically, the world, preferring unfettered freedom, has rejected the source of truth and morality—God Almighty. In the immediate past, most of the current candidates for political office in the USA and my country, Ghana, would not have dared to put out their names for elections at any level.
A candidate for a student’s leadership position in a particular University had to go under cover of the night to remove his posters for a position because of the comments people wrote on them. They were too stressful to bear. But who cares now?
The church has not opposed this downward trend. It prefers the charismatic and slick orator more than the Pauline type (1 Cor. 10:1; 2 Cor. 11:6). Thus, we set the divine standard aside when God’s people choose their leaders.
The choice of Israel’s first king serves as a chilling warning. Instead of seeking someone with godly qualities, they desired a leader like the kings of the surrounding nations (1 Sam. 8:5). The result was a catastrophe, a stark reminder of the perils of choosing leaders without godly qualities. The example of Israel should ignite our concern about the future implications of such choices.
This year, many nations, including Ghana and the USA, are at a critical juncture as they head to the polls. The stakes have never been higher. The choices these nations make in selecting their leaders will profoundly affect their future, not forgetting that we all make daily leadership choices at all levels of life.
As we prepare to elect our leaders at all levels, let us pay attention to the pivotal role of excellent leadership and moral competence. Our choices will shape the future of our families, churches, communities, and nations and reflect our commitment to God and His glory in Christ Jesus. Let this inspire us to seek leaders who embody these godly qualities. Amen.
Through the Eyes of the Spirit 