Lead with an Understanding Heart Pt. 1

Lately my heart has been crying out for the local church. Within local churches, there is or should be a diverse group of people. I have served in many different areas within my local church and I am finally settling into what I feel is the call on my life, but this piece isn't about me. It is about you, God's beloved people who are leaders at heart.
God has really been taking me through an interesting story in the bible in 1 Kings 3. Instead of writing the entire story out, i'll paint a picture for you so that you can go and read for yourself later on. The story is about Solomon, David's son. He is taking over his father's reign over the people of Israel. One night the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream, and God said, "What do you want? Ask, and I will give it you!”(Verse 5) Solomon replied, "You showed great and faithful love to your servant my father, David, because he was honest and true and faithful to you. And have continued to show this great and faithful love him today be giving him a son to sit on his throne ."(Verse 6)

"Give me an understanding heart so that I can govern(lead) your people well and know he difference between right and wrong. For who by himself is able to govern this great people of yours? "(Verse 9) God was extremely pleased with Solomon that he had asked for wisdom. So God replied, "Because you have asked for wisdom in governing my people with justice and have not asked for a long life of wealth or he death of your enemies, I will give you what you asked for. I will give you a wise and understanding heart such as no one else has ever had or ever will have!" (Verse 10-11)

Think about this, Solomon is about to take over as the leader of Israel. That is a big deal. God set him up when he asked him what he wanted as the new leader of Israel. Now, Solomon hasn't done everything right, but his heart was in the right place when he requested that the Father give him wisdom ad understanding so that he could lead this nation rightly. Solomon asked rightly because he wanted to walk genuinely as a leader. Solomon has pure motives from the start, he wanted to lead rightly and lead people into the heart of God by the wisdom he was granted. Solomon would eventually lead well in the story that I will talk about in part 2 of this, but for now I want to stay on this part of the story.
As a leader, if we lead from a place of lacking in understanding of God's heart and his ways, we mislead people and take them down roads to where eventually brings disaster. But if we ask God for an understanding of his heart and genuinely ask for wisdom in leading his people, we point them to Jesus because he is the standard. Our mandate is to point people to Jesus and point them to the Father. As we lead people, we are to create a culture of honestly, empowerment, and humility. Leading isn't easy, but it becomes easier when you posture yourself to hear God's heart for his people. When I say his people, I mean the people you run into on the street or who you are called to influence right now. As you continue to lead from the area that you are in and lead with God's heart, your influence will grow because people are being put into a position to where they are walking and looking like Jesus.
So in leading God's people, let’s live a lifestyle of understanding the heart of the Father and feasting on his very words. If we can grasp this and run with it, we will be successful in leading his people closer to his heart.
"Leaders point people to the perfect One, Jesus."