My mom had a thousand one-line sayings that have stuck with me over the years. One of them that I remember from about age 13 was, “You can pick your nose and you can pick your friends, but choose your friends carefully because you can’t pick your friend’s nose.” My mom had a memorable way of telling a 13-year-old that I had the ability to eliminate items from my person that were a problem or irritating but if my friend had a life issue, I would not be able to change them and it might influence me for life. The book of Proverbs says the same thing for adults, “A mirror reflects a man’s face but what he is really like is shown by the kind of friends he chooses” Proverbs 27:19 (tlb). Wise leaders understand that positive or negative relationships will shape their leadership. Read 2 Chronicles 21.

Jehoshaphat is known as a godly king even with the weakness he displayed for unhealthy alliances. When he died his son Jehoram assumed the throne. Jehoram was one of the people directly affected by one of Jehoshaphat’s unhealthy alliances. Jehoram had an arranged marriage to Athaliah, King Ahab of Israel’s daughter. Ahab was one of the most evil kings ever to reign the Jewish people of the northern kingdom. Jehoram’s life shows the influence Athaliah had on his core values. Read more »

It is possible for a leader to have most areas of their leadership life squared away, be successful in virtually everything they touch and still have one area continually out of control. Wise leaders understand that even allowing one area to be out of control will influence their legacy. Read 2 Chronicles 17-20.

King Jehoshaphat was 35 years old when he became king of Judah and reigned in Jerusalem for 25 years. For the most part Jehoshaphat was an outstanding godly leader. Second Chronicles tells us that Jehoshaphat sought the Lord in virtually all areas of his life, had great wealth and honor, became more and more powerful and even the arch enemy of Judah, the Philistines, brought Jehoshaphat gifts and were at peace with him. Read more »

Wise leaders willingly sign up to be accountable and welcome accountability partners. Read 2 Kings 5:15-27.

Elisha turned down the money and gifts Naaman the Syrian had offered to him for the miracle of curing his leprosy. Gripped by greed, Elisha’s servant Gehazi went after Naaman and lied to him stating that his master had some new prophets arrive and requested a portion of what Naaman was willing to pay. When Elisha confronted his servant, he foolishly lied again hoping to veil his deed from the spirit of the prophet. Gehazi had rationalized his disobedience and failed to consider the possible consequences of his actions. Read more »

Christian leaders never find what they are looking for when they abandon God in favor of their own interests. Read 1 Kings 22.

The king of Aram had captured and was now governing Ramoth Gilead, a city that was militarily strategic and economically important to both Judah and Israel. Jehoshaphat king of Judah and Ahab King of Israel determined together to take the city back from the king of Aram. Read more »

From time to time we see leaders gain recognition and acclaim but public recognition of a leader’s exploits may not equal the legacy history records. Read 1 Kings 16-22 focusing on 16:29-34 and 21:17-22.

The northern kingdom, Israel, endured an unbroken succession of wicked kings. Their idolatry became increasingly degraded, and they refused to learn from their predecessors’ mistakes. Ahab, son of Omri, was one of those kings. Read more »