The True Measure of Spiritual Leaders and Partners

Bishop Joseph Mukiira

1 Samuel 16:7

“But the LORD said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or at his physical stature, because I have refused him. For the LORD does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.”NKJV

Saul was a head taller than everybody in Israel and handsome to behold physically, but physical attributes as seen by man are the least considerations when God makes His choice of a leader for His people. People will choose whoever they want to choose for their own reasons but the true measure can only be seen from God’s point of view that He sees not as a man does but seeks people with ability to see into the Spiritual world through faith. Samuel, armed with previous experience went to Jesse’s house with a mental picture of the personality that he thought would please God. God is not interested in the attributes that men look for in their leaders, spouses or even friends. Many people look for certain visible qualities in the people they want to lead them, marry, employ etc but to our consternation these people disappoint us at very critical moments in life.

This partially explains why many marriages break after a short period of time, people, led by their thoughts and judgments make messes of their own lives by marrying people they think would compliment their lifestyles. Being led by looks, we forget to involve God in the selection of our life partners, we follow what pleases our eyes and at the end of the day we find that we made a very big mistake and wasted a big chunk of our lives. Brethren, to save ourselves from making such blunders we need to ask God for the right life partners, for He has them readied for us, I am talking about match making made in heaven and not the earthly one. When Adam said this is the flesh of my flesh and the bone of my bones, he really meant it. God’s choice is the best choice ever.

When we consider Genesis 2:18 And the LORD God said, “It is not good that man should be alone; I will make him a helper comparable to him.” NKJV It is God who identified the need that was in Adam, the need for a partner even before Adam did and He went ahead and met it, this should guide us in such matters, that God is aware of our physical and emotional needs even before we realize we do and that He has already taken the initiative to provide for that need satisfactorily, we are expected to cooperate with Him in such matters. I want to challenge you out there, who are about to make such commitments in your lives, please involve God and you will never regret at all. Never. This is a topic I will address independently later.

In our time, we need to see the futility of relying on our judgments about fellow man for anything that we need. Man can not be trusted to honor/keep their word explicitly unless the same favors them in one way or another. We have been lied to and given all manner of pledges/promises by politicians’ world over; close relatives and friends, always manipulating us for their own selfish interests, no region or country can claim to be better than the other in this regard. They may promise anything but have no intention of delivering what they promised after they get what they wanted. There is a complete disconnect between the people and these kind of leaders the tragedy is that they are all over the world.

In such times as we live in people and especially God fearing people need to look beyond their understanding of good leaders and seek God whenever they want any kind of leaders to avoid pitfalls of human judgment of how leaders should be elected. It is only God who can give us good leaders and not the power of our votes as we would like to believe. We should not rely on our judgment of character, academic qualifications, and socially acceptable standards but rely on God’s guidance when it comes to selecting leaders, both in the Church and outside. Countries have in the past voted in future dictators because they thought they had done a good job of their selection, without knowing (as somebody once said) that power corrupts and absolute powers corrupts absolutely.

Brethren may I take this early opportunity to entreat you all to involve God in all decisions that you make in your lives and I don’t mean superficial mention of such in prayer after you have already made a decision. God is not our second fiddle but the primary and sole advisor in all aspects of our spiritual lives.

I remember one brother testifying that he needed to point God in the right direction in a business decision that come out very costly on his part for he lost a substantial amount of his hard earned cash in the process.  God does not need us to show where we want Him involved in our lives, in fact when we are born again we cease to exist any more. Galatians 2:20 “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.” NKJV this statement should apply in all aspects of our lives, not partially but fully. In order to realize a fully Spirit lead lifestyle and attain all the blessings of God.

This devotional was written by Bishop Joseph Koburu Mukiira of Maximum Victory and Joy Worship Centre Nairobi Kenya and brought to you courtesy of Journey 2 Joy International Ministries Inc. USA.