by By Amondi Agutu
As Kenya is getting ready to go into general elections in 2027, I cannot help but wonder if we are truly ready; not in the sense of having resources or candidates, but in being mature enough to make sensible decisions. What are we looking for in leaders? What pitfalls should we avoid when electing leaders [at whatever level]?
Reading through Nehemiah 7, 8 and 9 had me convinced about what kind of leaders I should look for. Here are some thoughts that should guide us in making the right choices for ourselves and future generations.
Nehemiah 7 gives the list of the exiles that returned to Jerusalem. However, verse 2 tells us, “I put in charge of Jerusalem my brother Hanani, along with Hananiah the commander of the citadel, because he was a man of integrity and feared God more than most people do,” (NIV). That is my first point — that we need to stop thinking like the world, electing people for how they look, how they carry themselves, speak publicly or even because that person is the ‘lesser evil’. Could we, as believers, elect people because they fear God?
From chapter 8:1-6 we get a few more nuggets. We should elect leaders that bring unity. In previous chapters of this book, we see that there were dissensions amongst the Jews; the richer ones were oppressing the poor ones. However, through Nehemiah’s leadership, order was restored and we now see all the Jews come together as one to listen to the reading of the Book of the Law and to pray. That is the kind of leadership that we need.
We need leaders that will draw us to God. In the process of fulfilling the vision that God had given him, Nehemiah demonstrated faithfulness, focus, prayerfulness and integrity. In the end, we see the people coming together to repent, fast and pray together. Vision comes from God as does the ability to fulfill the vision; if we faithfully follow God’s leading, then people will desire to know and follow God.
This brings me to my next point — leading God’s way will draw repentance, worship and revival from people. Verse 6 says, “Ezra praised the Lord, the great God; and all the people lifted their hands and responded, “Amen! Amen!” Then they bowed down and worshiped the Lord with their faces to the ground,” (NIV). Looking to the history of Israel, we see that their kings either drew people towards God or away from Him. We must prayerfully consider whether a leader is godly or not. Proverbs 29:2 says, “When the righteous thrive, the people rejoice; when the wicked rule, the people groan,” (NIV). Would we rather rejoice or groan? A good leader will raise other leaders around him/her.
We see that Nehemiah did not cling to leadership. He empowered Ezra, the Levites and other leaders in Jerusalem. A leader that follows God’s leading will decentralize him/herself, put God first and then focus on serving the people. We must look at the people that surround the potential leader to decipher whether he/she is raising other leaders and whether he/she is surrounded by godly counsel.
Finally, leadership is about God, not us. After Nehemiah had put things in order, he went back to serve King Artaxerxes (he was the king’s cupbearer). The vision to reinstate Jerusalem to its former glory was all about God and His people. He did not stay to receive the glory, to rule or to drive the point that He had led the people to accomplish a difficult task. He simply did his assignment and then moved on. In a generation that is fixated on the glory that comes with influence, moving on to the next task is no mean feat. However, we must choose people that are more fixated on serving God than ruling over people.
There are many other lessons from the book of Nehemiah. Which ones stand out to you? What are your thoughts about electing leaders that glorify God and choose to serve His people?
