There may be times when Christian leaders become confused by what seems to be incompatibility between God’s character and His actions. Read Habakkuk 1:12-13.

Habakkuk’s first complaint to God was that He allowed the wicked leaders of Judah to continue in their lawlessness and perversion of justice. When God informed Habakkuk that His plan to solve the problem was to use the army of Babylon as His weapon of judgment to punish Judah, Habakkuk had an even more strenuous objection. The Babylonians were a wicked, brutal, unjust, pagan people that did not recognize God’s sovereignty and were more evil than the people in Judah. His question was how God could use a more evil people to bring judgment on His people. Habakkuk was confused by an apparent incompatibility between God’s character and His actions.

Personal success minus God-honoring character ultimately leads to spiritual bankruptcy. Read Nahum 1-3.

Nineveh was the capitol of the massive, powerful Assyrian Empire. Nahum was an obscure prophet to Judah whom God directed to announce judgment against the people living in the city of Nineveh. Slightly over a century earlier, through the prophet Jonah, God had called the people of Nineveh to repent and they did.

When leaders fail to practice servant leadership they will become self-serving and the organization can become a very unpleasant place to work. Read Micah 7:1-7.

The people of Israel were in dire straights. They could not trust a neighbor, put confidence in a friend or even trust their own family members. The root of the problem is identified as corrupt leaders when in verse three it says, “…the ruler demands gifts, the judge accepts bribes, the powerful dictate what they desire – they all conspire together.” There was self-centered leadership who worked for personal gain, kickbacks and bribes. They forced the people to serve them rather than them serving the people.

It is the leader’s responsibility to create an environment of humility, justice, fairness, and mercy that makes it safe for the team. Read Micah 6:1-8.

Micah lays out the charges against Israel’s leaders in verses 1-7 and gives the people permission to plead their case for innocence. God gave the people every break and helped them in their times of need yet they chose to ignore Him and follow their own desires. They had a form of religion with the rituals they practiced but their hearts were distant from God. In verse eight Micah tells the people what God expects of them, especially the leaders.

God-honoring leadership demands that the leader have God-honoring character. Read Micah 2:1-13.

The leaders in Israel were very prosperous but were condemned by God because they were self-centered and self-serving. Day and night they considered how to get personal gain at the expense of those who could not defend themselves against their onslaught of legal maneuvers and fraudulent actions. They knew God’s commands concerning protecting the poor and oppressed but they determined it was not to their advantage to follow God-established principles in their leadership. Their defective character brought God’s judgment on the entire nation.