Leadership is a difficult thing. No matter how good a person is at serving others, leading by example, doing the right thing even when others think it is wrong, having good character, being a good decisionmaker, and so on, leadership has its price. The bigger the leader’s responsibilities, the bigger the price. I’ve led a range of organizations and companies in my lifetime. From 4-H Clubs to sports teams to political campaigns to small and large companies to ministries, and all along the way there were enemies and detractors, no matter how good a job I did. There is always “that person” who finds offense and makes a big deal about it. The current leadership parallels between America and Israel are interesting.
In America, we are bombarded every day with impeachment news. The news media and politicians who oppose the President have been trying to remove him from office even before his transition team began its work in late 2016. Government progress has been obstructed at every turn. There is nothing more important to the opposition than the removal of America’s elected leader. Everything he does is wrong as measured in their eyes. They use every opportunity to justify skewering him base on their own brand of logic and justice. This US President has been under attack from his enemies from day one. And there are no signs that it will let up.
Halfway across the world is another leader, the Prime Minister of Israel. He has been a good leader, a strong leader. But the very same spirit working here in America also is trying to take him out. Think back to the previous US president and all the efforts to defeat the Prime Minister of Israel that were even illegally funded with US dollars because the previous US president didn’t want to deal with the Prime Minister’s hard line policies against Islamic terrorists. Well, now the opposition in Israel has finally got their indictment against the Prime Minister—bribery, breach of trust, and fraud. All vehemently denied by the Prime Minister who says this is no less than a witch hunt. Others say it is a coup attempt.
See the parallel? Both leaders have different styles. Both have been successful in their lives. Both are serving the public. Both are not perfect. Yet their opposition paints them as the worst people on earth, that their every breath does harm to someone. It is amazing how the people clamor for better leadership, yet refuse to recognize good leadership when they see it. There is always the complainer. Good becomes evil and evil becomes good. The verses about leadership in the Bible require righteousness, skill, wisdom, fairness and justice. Proverbs 29:2 says, “When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice: but when the wicked bear rule, the people mourn.” Some people mourn if they don’t get their own selfish way—and many of them wail the loudest. Herein is the price of leadership.
