Leadership Limelight – Proverbs 25:2-7

Army Chief of Staff General Martin Dempsey remarked in 2011 that he was “probably our best Brigadier General.” He made Time’s list of the 100 most influential people in the world in April 2014. He was hailed as “the architect of the future U.S. Army.” Lt. Gen. David Barno called him “the 21st century Army’s pre-eminent warrior-thinker.”  For this and other reasons, President Trump tapped H. R. McMaster to replace Michael Flynn as National Security Advisor.  But others in the administration turned against him after he fired some staff members and did not pass the sniff test for enough conservativism and submissiveness to Trump’s agenda.  He had, for example, said there was “incontrovertible” evidence that Russia interfered in the 2016 presidential election.  Trump reportedly wanted to dismiss him in March, 2018, and McMaster resigned on March 22. [Wikipedia]  Such is the life of someone in the limelight of leadership.

It is the glory of God to conceal things, but the glory of kings is to search things out.  As the heavens for height, and the earth for depth, so the heart of kings is unsearchable.  Take away the dross from the silver, and the smith has material for a vessel; take away the wicked from the presence of the king, and his throne will be established in righteousness.  Do not put yourself forward in the king’s presence or stand in the place of the great, for it is better to be told, “Come up here,” than to be put lower in the presence of a noble.  (Proverbs 25:2–7, ESV)

It is a common theme in wisdom literature:  How does one relate to and understand the most powerful ruler in the nation.  We have already seen from yesterday’s proverb that it is a king’s responsibility to search out the answers to life.  This is not to say that responsibility lies with no one else, but as a leader of his people the king must lead from wisdom.  For all his boastfulness, our president Trump, when saying before elected that if he became president he would learn more and be better informed than any president before him, was at least acknowledging what is most important for our leaders, whether he has produced on that or not.

And because leaders of this caliber must look at the big picture for the nation and factor in all the variables, their hearts are often unsearchable from the perspective of their subjects.  We may not understand why they chose to do what they did.  But if their decisions are not informed by righteousness, then the dross has not been removed, the wicked have been allowed to hold sway.

Wisdom dictates that we not seek power by pushing ourselves in front of the leader.  We do not, and should not, need to ring our own bell or tout our own abilities.  God is the one who will give us the influence we should have.  Leave it to God by leaving it to the ruler to see whether we deserve honor or not.  As Jesus told the Pharisees, who loved to be in the position of honor, take the lowest seat at the table and let the host move you to a higher seat if that is his pleasure (Luke 14:7-11).  “Whoever exalts himself will be humbled and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”

Be wise in the presence of those with great power.