After the death of Moses the servant of the Lord , the Lord said to Joshua son on Nun , Moses ’ aid : “ Moses my servant is dead . Now then , you and all these people , get ready to cross the Jordan River into the and I am about to give to them — to the Israelites .” ( NIV )
Consider what the story is telling us . As great as Moses was , with no one to call his equal in leadership , God still told Joshua , who has to fill Moses ’ shoes , “ Moses my servant is dead .” These words were likely not to inform Joshua of Moses ’ death , but rather to say to him , “ You are the man .”
As we look at the stories of Moses and Joshua from the perspective of time , we see that Moses served the Lord and the people of God as the Great Deliverer . Then as we look at Joshua we see that he served the same as the Great Conqueror . While both men were the leaders of the Israelites , both also served a particular role for a particular time . Or , as Mordecai said to Queen Esther , “ Who knows but that you have come to royal position for such a time as this ?” ( Esther 4:14 )
So how do we know when it is time our to leave ? How do we know when our shelf life in a particular role and ministry has expired ? I am currently researching this very concept for a piece I ’ m writing with two other pastors . Although we ’ re approaching its completion , it ’ s not quite finished . However , I would like to share with you some of our key findings :
All organizations change .
As organizations change so does the kind of leader needed . Does the organization need a visionary leader who can lead them to new places ? Or does the organization need a manager who is a great problem solver or who can help get the organization in order ? The answers to such questions determine the kind of leader needed “ for such a time as this .”
Has the ministry you currently serve changed to the extent that it needs a new kind of leader ? Are you more of a manager but the ministry now needs a visionary to take it to a new level ? How well does your leadership wiring fit your ministry at this moment in time ? If they were looking for a leader today given these answers , would they choose you ? Would you go if they did ?
Few leaders can sufficiently change themselves to lead an organization through multiple stages .
This is not a criticism of anyone ’ s ability but a statement of reality — organizations change and leaders have a hard time changing . For example , I am more of a visionary leader who functions best at 30,000 feet . One assessment I took recently said that I best serve an organization as a pioneer . Pioneers are those who attempt to go where no one has gone before and blaze new trails for others to follow . I ’ m in my sweet spot when I ’ m able to create and bring new ideas . However , if you put me in a management role where I must give close supervision and attention to details , I will most likely fail . It ’ s not who I am ; it ’ s not how I ’ m wired , and it ’ s not God ’ s first and best place for me . That ’ s called being honest .
35