Session 27

Do you love those you lead?

From Numbers: A 5-Week Devotional

Think about how you got where you are today. Who most influenced you along the way? Picture  the coaches, parents, mentors, and friends who helped you see who you could become, stood by you when you messed up, and guided you when you weren’t sure which way to go.

The leaders who most influence us are also those who care most deeply for us.

Moses wasn’t a perfect leader, but he cared deeply for the people of Israel. Of all the things Moses could have talked to God about before he died, his first concern was for the people he would leave behind. Who would lead them? (Numbers 27:16)

The same way that others influenced us and Moses influenced the nation of Israel, we are influencing others with the way we lead. We are all leaders. We lead our families. We lead our friends. We lead teams at work, at school, and at church. We hold offices in civic groups and clubs. But if something happened tomorrow, who would take our place? Would we even care?

Too often, we get so focused on our own legacy (or how to stay on top) that we don’t think about what happens when we’re gone. We won’t be around forever, and the best legacy we can leave is how we loved those around us (1 Corinthians 13:1-3).

Moses knew the people of Israel, prayed for them, and shed tears for them. How would our workplaces, our schools, and our communities change if we allowed ourselves to be as emotionally invested in the people we lead?

Reflect:

• What’s one place where God has given you an opportunity to lead?
• As you thought about the people who most influenced you, who came to mind? What are two ways they showed they cared?
• Starting this week, who can you do those same things for?