biblically speaking
The Secret of Hezekiah’s Leadership
Six disciplines for a firm leadership foundation.
By David Yerry
Years ago, a personal mentor challenged me by pointing out that short of personal experience, the best way to grow as a leader is to learn from the lives of others. The great news about this truth is that it is not limited to only individuals with whom we have contact. We have access to learn rich truths from recorded biographies and historical narratives as well. Many of the most significant and powerful examples for the Christian leader are recorded for us in Scripture.
One such narrative comes from the life of a king named Hezekiah. He was a young man of 25 when he inherited a nation in crisis and moral decay. Yet under his leadership, it became a highly prosperous country whose population lived to enjoy some of the best years in its history. In fact, the scriptural narrative describes him in these terms: "There was no one like him among all the kings of Judah, either before him or after him” (2 Kings 18:5).
Hezekiah’s story provides a roadmap of successful principles that can guide leaders in their endeavors. While we do not have the space in this article to delve into all of them, I wish to draw our attention to the specific disciplines that defined his life and his leadership.
The biblical account summarizes his life by stating that he did "what was right in the eyes of the Lord” (2 Kings 18:3). The overarching vision of his life was doing what was right, not what was right in his eyes, or what was right for a nation or a specific individual, but what was right before the Lord.
Looking below the surface of this broad life vision, six specific spiritual disciplines are evident in his life that enabled him to focus on pleasing God and avoid being sidetracked or sidelined. These six disciplines are outlined in 2 Chronicles 31:21 and 2 Kings 18:5-6.
first discipline: the pursuit of God
Hezekiah was a man who sought God so that he might know the mind of the Lord for him. To pursue God is to search him out and to follow his every move. When I think of the idea of a pursuit, an all-out police chase comes to mind. Sirens blaring, quick acceleration, braking and turns, eyes riveted on the vehicle being followed. Although we are pursuing the great and good God and not a suspect, I wonder if our striving can be characterized as all-out abandon.
Hezekiah had a fire burning in his soul. He purposed in his heart to follow the Lord with abandon and was more concerned with doing what was right than what was expedient. In a real sense, all the other disciplines he exhibited flow from this first passion.
second discipline: working wholeheartedly
His entire being focused on placing God at the center of everything he put his hand to. To lead with a sole concentration on God’s purposes and not allow that to dilute is difficult in today’s world. Part of what we desire is to serve the Lord, yet there are other issues that capture our attention and draw us away.
Like a river redirected from its course, this serves only to divert the full power and authority of the Lord. Issues like personal ambition can draw energy away and become a huge distraction. Allowing an injured spirit to grow into a root of bitterness may stunt the growth of your character. Unchecked sinful attitudes can destroy a legacy built over years of service. Hezekiah teaches us to examine and guard our hearts with great intensity so we may be found faithful.
Third Discipline: Trusting God
To fully trust the Lord means that we take no action of our own accord. We do not force something along simply to bring about a short-sighted, man-designed solution. The pressure for leaders to bring swift resolution must be balanced against what the Lord is after. How often do we find ourselves devising a solution, but in the process missing the miracle that could have been? Is it possible that we hinder what could be by our ravenous appetite for action?
Hezekiah did not begin with his own dreams; he began with hearing from God about what God desired. This is as simple as asking him for his perspective and then waiting until it becomes clear. For Americans especially, this waiting is one of the most difficult disciplines. Our culture is built around speed and access to whatever we want, whenever we want it. But we know that God operates on his own schedule, and waiting on his guidance is a character strength that we must develop if we are to grow as leaders.
I am not advocating that we sit back and do nothing; rather, we learn to trust his purposes when they are not obvious to us. Rushing in to decide a course of action because we do not like the circumstances may actually cause us to miss the lesson God has for us. A lesson, that if ignored, we are destined to face again in the future.
Fourth Discipline: Holding Fast
When the inevitable storms of opposition come, the Lord calls us to stay the course. Be aware that holding fast is vastly different than holding on. If we are simply enduring our circumstances, putting up with them until they pass, we’re holding on. But if we are steadfast in our commitment and purposing in our heart to stay true to what is right regardless of the pressure to swerve away, we are holding fast. Maintaining our course through the storm rather than hanging on until it is over.
Fifth Discipline: Persevering in following god
The pursuit of God that comprises the first discipline is something that must continue. The experience of many is to begin well, but not finish with the same energy with which they started. It is like the typical enthusiasm behind a New Year’s resolution that starts with gusto but falls flat in short order. Following is a daily, ongoing task of staying true to listen to his voice. This consistency creates an unbroken connection that enables us to receive updates and course corrections along the way.
sixth discipline: actively embracing the commands of the Lord
It is not enough for our actions to line up with Scripture; our attitudes must align as well. The right thing done with the wrong attitude or motivation does not honor the Lord. This is where the leader who draws his values from a biblical basis diverges greatly from one who draws from his own set of values. Biblical values do not shift with changing circumstances—they remain true and clear regardless of the times.
Hezekiah used these disciplines to form a boundary around his life, protecting him from moving off course from God’s purposes. He examined his actions against them so that he could develop and live out the kind of leadership that pleased the Lord. We can see the end result of his deliberate living as he is described as being successful in whatever he undertook.
Hezekiah is a great encouragement to me as I build my leadership on a firm foundation that will stand the test of time.
David Yerry is a vice president with the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association. Yerry has more than 30 years of nonprofit experience, as well as voluntary service in various ministries. He holds a degree in theology and missions from Bethany College of Missions, and a degree in business administration from Crown College.
Yerry will lead a workshop on "The Leadership Secrets of Hezekiah” at the 2011 Christian Leadership Alliance Conference in Dallas, April 26-28 (claconference.org).
