Does your leadership include vision and action? (114-2)

Effective leaders see a better future for their organization and act upon that vision. They demonstrate courage based on conviction and make the hard decisions needed to bring about change. Read 2 Chronicles 34.

“Neither before nor after Josiah was there a king like him who turned to the Lord as he did – with all his heart and with all his soul and with all his strength, in accordance with all the law of Moses” (2 Kings 23:25). Josiah “walked in the ways of his father David, not turning to the right or to the left” (2 Chronicles 34:2). Now that is a legacy every Christian leader would love to have.

Josiah had the benefit of growing up in the palace of his grandfather Manasseh after his Assyrian captivity, when he had humbled himself before the Lord, after he had experienced revival and finally began leading with zeal to undo the spiritual mess he had made with the first 45 years of his reign. At eight years old, following the assassination of his father Amon, Josiah became king. By the time Josiah was sixteen, he had begun to seek the true God of Israel. By the time he was 20 he had instituted significant religious reforms to rid the nation of the idolatrous practices of Manasseh’s early years. In his zeal as a leader he even took the religious reforms beyond the borders of Judah into portions of the northern kingdom.

At age 25, Josiah ordered repairs of the temple and then demonstrated outstanding leadership when he managed this considerable project through delegation and efficient supervision. When a Book of the Law was found during the remodeling and read to the king, he immediately realized the depth of Judah’s spiritual plight and with a humble spirit and broken heart he sought a word from the Lord concerning the fate of Judah. As he matured, Josiah became even more zealous and called upon the people to renew their covenant with God.

Josiah was a model of visionary leadership with progressive action plans from his early years. He saw a better future for his country and acted upon that vision. He blended competence, courage and conviction to follow God’s will. Effective godly leaders seek to follow Josiah’s model.

James 1:21-22 Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you. Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.