God-centered Leaders: The Most Wanted Leaders of All Time (Everything Else Is a Bonus)

Do we have God-centered Leaders?

Have you ever wondered why the peoples of the nations, even first-world countries, are staggering to debt, depression, homelessness, and suffering?

Does it have to do with how people elected or selected their leaders?

Does it have to do with the leaders?

Leaders lead.

The question is: where are they leading the people?

Are they leading us to peace or war?

Are they leading us to abundance or despair?

Are they leading us to God or the devil (knowingly or unknowingly)?

Nations plunge into war because of their leaders: the greed and ambitions of their leaders. See the explicit and implicit reasons why world war I and II started.

Here are a few resources to start with, though I suggest you go deeper into the cause of wars:

Throughout history, leaders have played significant roles in people’s lives.

Good leaders pave the way for progress, peace, and a better way of life. In contrast, corrupt leaders breed devastation, poverty, and misery.

With what is going on in the world today, where are our leaders leading us?

What does the Bible say about leaders?

The Bible invites all peoples of the earth, including kings, princes, rulers, young and older men and women, and even children, to praise the name of YHWH, the Lord.

Kings of the earth and all peoples, princes and all rulers of the earth!
Young men and maidens together, old men and children!
Let them praise the name of the Lord, for his name alone is exalted; his majesty is above earth and heaven.
Psalm 148:11-13

What are the qualities of a good leader?

There is only one quality I’d rather look for in a leader. From there, everything follows.

That quality is that a leader is God-centered.

God-centered leaders live by the teachings of the Bible.

Remember your leaders, those who spoke to you the word of God. Consider the outcome of their way of life, and imitate their faith.
Hebrews 13:7

The above are the leaders to follow.

God-centered leaders are just as justice comes from God.

By me kings reign, and rulers decree what is just;
Proverbs 8:15

Many seek the face of a ruler, but it is from the Lord that a man gets justice.
Proverbs 29:26

God-centered leaders refrain from vice.

It is not for kings, O Lemuel, it is not for kings to drink wine, or for rulers to take strong drink,
Proverbs 31:4

God-centered leaders have wisdom.

Intelligent leaders with wicked intentions and desires can do a lot of harm.

Like a roaring lion or a charging bear is a wicked ruler over a poor people.
A ruler who lacks understanding is a cruel oppressor, but he who hates unjust gain will prolong his days.
Proverbs 28:15-16

So we don’t need intellectual leaders. We only need leaders who have wisdom, as wisdom comes from God and not from man.

God-centered leaders are wise. They know whom to listen to.

If a ruler listens to falsehood, all his officials will be wicked.
Proverbs 29:12

Yet among the mature we do impart wisdom, although it is not a wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are doomed to pass away. But we impart a secret and hidden wisdom of God, which God decreed before the ages for our glory. None of the rulers of this age understood this, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. But, as it is written, “What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him”—these things God has revealed to us through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God. For who knows a person’s thoughts except the spirit of that person, which is in him? So also no one comprehends the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God. And we impart this in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual truths to those who are spiritual.
1 Corinthians 2: 6-13

God-centered leaders take care of their people. They are great stewards.

God-centered leaders are also great members.

They do not have a fixation on being leaders.

They can be great members.

They lead according to the experiences of the being members.

But not so with you. Rather, let the greatest among you become as the youngest, and the leader as one who serves.
Luke 22:26

God-centered leaders bring people together.

They can attract and influence people.

They don’t force nor control people.

People tend to follow good leaders.

They gain respect and submission from people.

When our enemies heard that it was known to us and that God had frustrated their plan, we all returned to the wall, each to his work. From that day on, half of my servants worked on construction, and half held the spears, shields, bows, and coats of mail. And the leaders stood behind the whole house of Judah, who were building on the wall. Those who carried burdens were loaded in such a way that each labored on the work with one hand and held his weapon with the other. And each of the builders had his sword strapped at his side while he built. The man who sounded the trumpet was beside me. And I said to the nobles and to the officials and to the rest of the people, “The work is great and widely spread, and we are separated on the wall, far from one another. In the place where you hear the sound of the trumpet, rally to us there. Our God will fight for us.”

So we labored at the work, and half of them held the spears from the break of dawn until the stars came out. I also said to the people at that time, “Let every man and his servant pass the night within Jerusalem, that they may be a guard for us by night and may labor by day.” So neither I nor my brothers nor my servants nor the men of the guard who followed me, none of us took off our clothes; each kept his weapon at his right hand.
Nehemiah 4:15-23

God anoints people who are God-centered to be leaders.

Behold, I made him a witness to the peoples, a leader and commander for the peoples.
Isaiah 55:4

God-centered leaders are accountable to God, the people he serves, and themselves.

God-centered leaders are not perfect. They can make mistakes. Yet, they know how to atone and repent for those mistakes.

“When a leader sins, doing unintentionally any one of all the things that by the commandments of the Lord his God ought not to be done, and realizes his guilt, or the sin which he has committed is made known to him, he shall bring as his offering a goat, a male without blemish, and shall lay his hand on the head of the goat and kill it in the place where they kill the burnt offering before the Lord; it is a sin offering. Then the priest shall take some of the blood of the sin offering with his finger and put it on the horns of the altar of burnt offering and pour out the rest of its blood at the base of the altar of burnt offering. And all its fat he shall burn on the altar, like the fat of the sacrifice of peace offerings. So the priest shall make atonement for him for his sin, and he shall be forgiven.
Leviticus 4:22-26

And Saul said, “Come here, all you leaders of the people, and know and see how this sin has arisen today.
1 Samuel 14:38

There is an evil that I have seen under the sun, as it were an error proceeding from the ruler:
Ecclesiastes 10:5

The problem we are seeing in today’s world is that leaders seem immune to shame and guilt. They continue the wrong they do as though nothing bothers them.

With that said, a God-centered leader ought to be the #1 quality we should look for in a leader. God rules His people with love, protection, abundance, and peace through that leader.

How should the people take God-centered leaders?

Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with groaning, for that would be of no advantage to you.
Hebrews 13:17

Be Ready for Every Good Work
Remind them to be submissive to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good work,
Titus 3:1

Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment. For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you have no fear of the one who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval, for he is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God’s wrath on the wrongdoer. Therefore one must be in subjection, not only to avoid God’s wrath but also for the sake of conscience.
Romans 13:1-5

What should you do under a corrupt leader?

Under a corrupt leader, you should rise from slumber. Find your way to prepare your needs. Do not entrust your welfare to the wicked leader. Eventually, Don’t wait for poverty and miser to creep your life.

Go to the ant, O sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise.
Without having any chief, officer, or ruler, she prepares her bread in summer and gathers her food in harvest.
How long will you lie there, O sluggard? When will you arise from your sleep?
A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest—
and poverty will come on you like a thief and scarcity like an armed man.
Proverbs 6:6-11

Wicked leaders are not from God.

You don’t have to listen to them; else, you fall astray.

Wisdom gives strength to the wise man more than ten rulers who are in a city.
Ecclesiastes 7:19

The words of the wise heard in quiet are better than the shouting of a ruler among fools.
Ecclesiastes 9:17

What does the Bible say about those who do not believe and love God?

Those people will look for leaders who will lead them to slavery.

They refused to obey and were not mindful of the wonders that you performed among them, but they stiffened their neck and appointed a leader to return to their slavery in Egypt. But you are a God ready to forgive, gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, and did not forsake them.
Nehemiah 9:17

But again, God is merciful and slow to anger. He is steadfast in love for those who repent and will not forsake His children.

What will God do to the wicked rulers?

The Bible has plenty of verses and passages on what God is going to do to wicked rulers and leaders.

Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain?
The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the Lord and against his Anointed, saying,
“Let us burst their bonds apart and cast away their cords from us.”
Now therefore, O kings, be wise; be warned, O rulers of the earth.
Serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice with trembling.
Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and you perish in the way, for his wrath is quickly kindled.
Blessed are all who take refuge in him.
Psalm 2:1-3, Psalm 2:10-12

Who rises up for me against the wicked?
Who stands up for me against evildoers?
If the Lord had not been my help, my soul would soon have lived in the land of silence.
When I thought, “My foot slips,” your steadfast love, O Lord, held me up.
When the cares of my heart are many, your consolations cheer my soul.
Can wicked rulers be allied with you, those who frame injustice by statute?
They band together against the life of the righteous and condemn the innocent to death.
But the Lord has become my stronghold, and my God the rock of my refuge.
He will bring back on them their iniquity and wipe them out for their wickedness; the Lord our God will wipe them out.
Psalm 94:16-23

Hear the word of the Lord, you rulers of Sodom! Give ear to the teaching of our God, you people of Gomorrah!
Isaiah 1:10

The Lord has broken the staff of the wicked, the scepter of rulers, that struck the peoples in wrath with unceasing blows, that ruled the nations in anger with unrelenting persecution.
Isaiah 14:5-6

Where now is your king, to save you in all your cities? Where are all your rulers— those of whom you said, “Give me a king and princes”?
Where now is your king, to save you in all your cities? Where are all your rulers—those of whom you said, “Give me a king and princes”?
I gave you a king in my anger, and I took him away in my wrath.
Hosea 13:10-11

Hear this, you heads of the house of Jacob and rulers of the house of Israel, who detest justice and make crooked all that is straight, who build Zion with blood and Jerusalem with iniquity.
Its heads give judgment for a bribe; its priests teach for a price; its prophets practice divination for money; yet they lean on the Lord and say, “Is not the Lord in the midst of us? No disaster shall come upon us.” Therefore because of you Zion shall be plowed as a field; Jerusalem shall become a heap of ruins, and the mountain of the house a wooded height.
Micah 3:9-12

“My anger is hot against the shepherds, and I will punish the leaders; for the Lord of hosts cares for his flock, the house of Judah, and will make them like his majestic steed in battle.
Zechariah 10:3

I will cut off the ruler from its midst, and will kill all its princes with him,” says the Lord.
Amos 2:3

He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him.
Colossians 2:15

Israel’s Irresponsible Leaders
All you beasts of the field, come to devour— all you beasts in the forest.
Isaiah 56:9

More Bible passages about leaders, rulers, and kings:

Show me a righteous ruler and I will show you a happy people. Show me a wicked ruler and I will show you a miserable people.
Proverbs 29:2

When the king is concerned with justice, the nation will be strong, but when he is only concerned with money, he will ruin his country.
Proverbs 29:4

If a king defends the rights of the poor, he will rule for a long time.
Proverbs 29:14

What do you think? Do we have God-centered Leaders?

I am not talking about religious leaders. I am talking about leaders leading our nations and countries.

God-centered leaders do not need to have religious affiliations.

God-centered leaders mean that they are spiritual. They respond to the reality of the situation they are in having God the center in their lives.