Management and Leadership Principles
for Excellence Part-3
PRINCIPLE # 1
Leadership and Stewardship
“Subdue” and “Have
Dominion Over” Creation
We just started a
series of Management and Leadership Principles last week. Today we are going to
take a deeper glance at the original mandate of man. We already saw that
in the first part of introduction God‘s first assignment to man is mention in the
first chapter of Genesis.
God’s Ultimate Diagram For Manhood
“And God said, Let us make man in our image,
after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and
over the birds of the heavens, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and
over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. And God created
man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female
created he them. And God blessed them: and God said unto them, Be
fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it; and have
dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the heavens, and over
every living thing that moveth upon the earth.”(Genesis 1:26-28)
Man was made
last of all the creatures: this was both an honour and a favour to him. Yet man
was made the same day that the beasts were; his body was made of the same earth
with theirs; God first made the body of man and he made it of the dust of the
earth. Certainly it is true that the same elements that are found in the dust
of the ground are found also in the body of man. It is shown to be a fact
because it is to dust that we return. But Man is more than a body. He is not
merely an animated piece of beef steak, a hunk of meat with a nervous system.
He is more than body; he is soul as well as body. The functions of the soul are
wonderfully linked to those of the body in ways that we have not even begun to
fathom.
For instance, the
functions of the soul (largely reason, emotion, and will), are also in some
most remarkable way functions of our physical life. Reason is related to the
brain, for it is only as the brain operates that reason occurs. Glands have
great power over our emotional life. The hormones which they secrete directly
affect us emotionally. Thus the functions of the soul are tied most remarkably
to the body, and no one fully understands the mystery of it. In the forming of
man God made body and soul together, with the capacities for function of the
soul lying dormant within the body of man.
“...then
the LORD God formed man of dust from the ground, and breathed into his
nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being[or, literally, a
living soul].” (Genesis 2:7 RSV)
Then, into this body
with an inactive soul, the account says he breathed, through the nostrils, a
living spirit. The phrase breath of life, in the Hebrew, means "a
spirit of life." The word for breath and spirit are the
same, both in Hebrew and in Greek, so that this is more than simply a picture
of God breathing into man's nostrils. This is not face-to-face resuscitation:
it is the impartation of a spirit into man. As we know from other Scriptures,
the spirit is our essential nature. It is this that distinguishes man so
remarkably from the animal creation. Thus as man comes into being, he comes
full-orbed, as a threefold being, existing in body, soul, and spirit. It is the
joining together of spirit and body which activates and galvanizes the soul, so
that it begins to function.
To “Subdue” and “Have
Dominion Over” Creation
“The highest heavens belong to the LORD, but
the earth he has given to mankind.” Psalm 115:16
The Bible reveals that
the earth was designed to be man’s home, and that man in his original
perfection was in every way suited to rule the earth. God’s original purpose
for mankind was thus connected with the management of the earth.
In every person, there
is potential for leadership. “You
were born to rule!” Leadership
really comes down to two things: who you are and how you think. It is about
discovering your identity as a born leader and then understanding the way true
leaders think so that you can fulfill your inherent calling. To exercise leadership, you must
believe that you are inherently a leader.
The world is in desperate need of true leaders. Our Nation need positive
role models, our children need fathers and our world needs direction. Where are
the leaders? Who are they? What makes an individual a leader? Does God Demand
Quality Effective Leaders? Bible says “The Lord has sought out a man after
his own heart and appointed him leader of his people... " (I Samuel
13:14). Quality leadership is the key to a prosperous and peaceful life. When
God created you, He placed in you all of the necessary gifting, callings and
talents you would ever need to fulfill His glorious plan for your life. He did
not create you to sputter in life, stall, and fall short or to abort your
purpose. But the trouble is “Where
purpose is not known abuse is inevitable.” When you do not know your
God-given purpose, you will abuse yourself and others.
God gives everyone specific
gifts, callings and talents for the purpose of fulfilling His plans for their
life. You are born with them and it is your responsibility to find out what
they are, and then put them to use. Remember, you were born to lead because the
Lord God Almighty chose you to be a leader! In Genesis 1:26, these words are recorded, “And
God said, Let us make man
in our image, after our likeness ...” To be created in God’s image means that God
created you to conform to His moral character. You were created to have the
same DNA, attributes, traits and disposition as God. In Leviticus 11:44-45, the
Lord God commanded us, “Be Holy, for I am Holy!” The first and most vital step
to true leadership is conforming yourself to God’s moral character. Men, who
don’t take this first step, ultimately always fail at leadership. How do you
learn God’s moral character? The only way is through the study of God’s Word.
Any other source will corrupt, subvert or slander your character. To be created in God’s
likeness means you were created to function just like God function! How does
God operate? For example the one way is that God lives and operates by faith.
In Hebrews 10:38, we were given this command, “Now the just shall live by
faith…” It is an irrefutable fact - men who do not live by faith, subject
themselves to the possibility of cracking when they face certain types of
tests, trials and temptations. Men, who walk by faith, never crack under
pressure!
Every man comes with a God-given purpose. In Genesis 2:15, these words
are recorded, “And the Lord God took the man, and put him into the Garden of
Eden to dress it…” That word “dress,” means to cultivate. To cultivate means:
1). To improve the condition of. 2). To make better. 3). To cause to multiply.
4). To cause to be fruitful. 5). To promote the growth of. 6). To nourish. You
are called by God to be a cultivator. Everything that you set your hands to, or
get involved with, should improve and become better! That means your Nation, community,
church, family and the institution you work for will all improve because of
your presence. God has called every person to be a leader!
In Genesis 2:15,
another word is recorded, “And the Lord God took the man, and put him into the
Garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it.” That word “keep,” means to protect.
To protect means: 1. To keep from being damaged, attacked, stolen, or injured.
2. To shield from danger, injury, destruction, or damage. 3. To guard, to
defend and to be a watchman. God has called men to be protectors. We are called
to protect the women and children, ( I Samuel 30:1-19). Protect our country and
community, ( I Timothy 2:1-3). Protect and provide for the poor, (See Job
29:12-17). Protect, help and nurture the fatherless, (Psalm 10:14). Protect and
provide for the widows, (Deuteronomy 26:12). Protect the God’s institution by
contending for the faith, (Jude 3). When you see, hear and read about men
committing acts of violence and mayhem against society, it is a forgone
conclusion. They either missed or rejected this essential step to leadership.
God has created and called all men to be protectors!
In the beginning of
Genesis, God creates everything and puts Adam in the Garden to work it and to
take care of it. It is clear that man was created to rule and work and
that work is the stewardship of all of the creation that God has given
him. This is the fundamental principle of biblical leadership and stewardship.
God owns everything; we are simply managers or administrators acting on his
behalf. We are called as God’s stewards to manage that which belongs to God.
While God has graciously entrusted us with the care, development, and enjoyment
of everything he owns as his stewards, we are responsible to manage his
holdings well and according to his desires and purposes. A steward is one who
manages the possessions of another. We are all stewards of the resources,
abilities and opportunities that God has entrusted to our care, and one day
each one of us will be called to give an account for how we have managed what
the Master has given us.Just as a product cannot know it’s true purpose or
worth except in its relationship with its maker, so it is with you and
me. The leadership spirit is the inherent leadership capacity and
potential that is the essential nature of human beings. A popular definition of
leadership is that "leadership is influence." A good leader not only
knows where he is going, but he can inspire others to go with him.
God has entrusted authority over the creation to us and we are
not allowed to rule over it as we see fit. We are called to exercise our
dominion under the watchful eye of the Creator managing his creation in accord
with the principles he has established. Like the servants in the Parable of the
Talents, we will be called to give an account of how we have administered
everything we have been given, including our time, money, abilities,
information, wisdom, relationships, and authority.
We will all give account to the rightful
owner as to how well we managed the things he has entrusted to us. Therefore,
stewardship expresses our obedience regarding the administration of everything
God has placed under our control, which is all encompassing. Stewardship is the
commitment of one’s self and possessions to God’s service, recognizing that we
do not have the right of control over our property or ourselves. We need to be faithful stewards of all God has given
us within the opportunities presented through his providence to glorify him,
serve the common good and further his Kingdom.
So God’s commission to humanity
is “be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it and have
dominion” is a glorious calling, and comes as a result of our creation in the
image of God—the image and dominion language is repeated twice in Genesis 1:26-28.
This is key, because it means our commission to dominion is part and parcel of
what it means to bear God’s image, and so understanding the character of
our dominion flows from understanding the character of our image–bearing. It was man's original commission, humanity's
primal charter. And history is the story of the execution of the commission,
civilization the unfolding of the privileges of the charter. Wherever civilized
man has gone, there he has been gaining dominion over the fish of the sea, and
the fowl of the air, and every living thing that moveth on the earth, by,
subduing earth itself.
When we think about the dominion God has given us over
the earth, then, we need to keep in mind the character of the God whose image
we bear. If we think that blessing or causing to be fruitful are odd ways of
thinking about subduing and having dominion over the earth, then we’re not
thinking in terms of the character of God’s good rule. This dominion, exercised
in ordering and blessing, gets to the relationship between our commission as
described in very different ways in Gen 1 and 2. Unlike Gen 1, humanity’s
origin and calling in Gen 2 doesn’t at first glance seem so glorious: rather
than speak of the image of God, Gen 2 says that humanity has been created out
of dirt just like the rest of the “living creatures” (2:7, 19). Instead of the
language of subduing and dominion, we get the language of working and keeping,
the language of service rather than rule (2:15). In light of God’s character
and his commission for us, however, these accounts show themselves to be
complimentary rather than contradictory.
This dominion means to
maintain order, and it is to be exercised over resources of the Earth and other
creatures not people. It was first given to Adam and his wife and was to be for
the whole human race (Psalms 8:6-8). Man was to have sovereignty over the
Earth, animal creation and other creatures. Because of our being made in
God’s image we were given a higher moral and spiritual nature. Our capacity for
right thinking, knowledge, holiness, and righteousness, would be expressed in
our ruling over the other creatures.
God’s commission for humanity is precisely a dominion of
service and blessing, under God; it’s a rule that brings about fruitfulness for
us and the rest of creation rather than tyranny or abuse, because we exercise
dominion under someone else’s authority. Though we are created in the image and
likeness of God, it’s no less true that we’re made of the same “dust” that
other creatures are. Human image–bearing is a gift and a calling, not an
intrinsic superiority:
As in Gen 1, in Gen 2 Adam is called to exercise subordinate
headship and bring meaningful and productive order, in naming the animals (vv.
19, 20) as well as cultivating his garden sanctuary. And as in Gen 1, in Gen 2
God calls Adam to fulfill his commission on behalf of humanity as his created
image. Adam is to display the character of God, and accomplish his charge
in faithful obedience (2:16). And finally, just as God created, ordered and
then rested, so too humanity was created with a commission to productive labor
which had as its end to join in God’s own blessed rest (cf. Heb 2:6–8).
Now for the word
“dominion” or “rule”. In Hebrew this is radah. It’s a royal
word. This is the dominating rule of a king. But let’s pause
and think of the kind of king that God desires. The same word is
used in Psalm 72, originally a coronation psalm for Solomon. Verse 8:
“May he have dominion [radah] from sea to sea . . .” But now look at
verses 12-14 to see what that dominion, that radah, looks like: “He
delivers the needy when they call, the poor and those who have no helper.
He has pity on the weak and the needy, and saves the lives of the needy.
From oppression and violence he redeems their life; and precious is their blood
in his sight. “(Psalm 72: 12-14)
What is the kind of
rule that God doesn’t want? Ezekiel 34:4 gives us an example. In a
tirade against Israel’s kings, God says through the prophet, “You have not
strengthened the weak, you have not healed the sick, you have not bound up the
injured, you have not brought back the strayed, you have not sought the lost,
but with force and harshness you have ruled them.”
The dominion that God
desires is one that protects the defenseless and gives justice to the
oppressed. Applying this to the command for humanity
to exercise dominion over creation, we can see that while we rule over
creation, we’re called to protect it. As a king accepts tribute or taxes
from his subjects, so too we receive a bountiful sustenance from the
fruits of creation. Yet also as a king should take care of the weak
and poor in his kingdom, so too we are called to guard natural beauty, preserve
endangered species of God’s creatures, and even to restore the places which we
have too often ruled “with force and harshness.”
When Adam and Eve
sinned they were told to leave the garden and were forbidden back into it. The
only entrance in was guarded by God’s glory. So the current state of the
world, however, shows what a mess we have made of this glory and dignity. We
have marred God’s image “almost beyond recognition.” This causes one to wonder:
can a person truly be in the image God when evil abounds? In Genesis 9:6:
"Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed; for God
made man in his own image." This verse fully affirms God’s likeness in
humanity. Even in a world where sin abounds, humankind is still created in God’s
image—badly distorted, true, but still the image of God. So the fact of being
created in God’s image in Genesis, cries out for completion as the Old
Testament ends.
1. Humankind is created to manifest the glory of
God, but the work is clearly unfinished.
2. The image of God has been deeply marred by
self-centered rebellion against God (sin). The work of God cries out for
completion
3. The male/female relationship is damaged by the
desire to dominate, but it points to completion in the mystery of Christ and
the bride for which he gave his life—the Church.
In all cases, creation only moves to
completion, as we are “utterly and radically and uniquely devoted to the Lord.”
The Old Testament
indicates that the purpose which the humanity was made to steward the things of
the earth and to reflect the glory of God in the world. It speaks of being
created to show forth the glory of God (Isaiah 43:7). It also speaks of how the
earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord. (Habakkuk
2:14). However, the Hebrew Scriptures end with creation utterly unfinished and
the hope of glory still to come. Stopping the story there, begs for the rest to
be told, and it is, but only in Christ: question is how?
When God created man, He knows the ability He
created man with. He gave us gifts “For the kingdom of heaven is as a man travelling into a far country, who called his own servants, and delivered
unto them his goods.” (Mathew 25:14) and expects us to walk in what He has given us.
He respected man so much that He gave him dominion over every other creature.
He even permitted man to name other animals and He never changed those names
from what man called each animal. Respect is based on responsibility and love
is subjective.
God gave us free will, so we become the product of
our choice. We love the freedom of choice that He gave us but we do not want
the responsibilities that come with the consequences of our choices. Man
prefers to live by choice, but God works by principles.
God does more through
us than He does for us because we are in partnership with Him. He spoke
everything into existence except man because man is special to Him. The gifts
He gave us bring us into limelight. There are times that He hides our gifts
from us because He wants to develop our character first. Gifts bring us out but
negative character can bring us down. God has created man to be in authority of
every aspect of his life but the choices Man make do not permit him to. Until
man takes his proper position/place which is to be seated in the heavenly
places far above principalities and power, he cannot walk in dominion. How
then, do we walk in dominion? The kingdom of God is about power
(Heb 1:3). When you give your life to Christ, a new placement occurs and you
become seated with Christ in the heavenly places. God places us in a place of
power to become His sons. Salvation is for power, (Acts 1:8). We need power to
do everything in life (Heb 11:11), (Deut 8:18).The source of power is God's
word, and Jesus is the word, hence He is the power that we need (John 17:8)
Leadership and stewardship is impossible unless we take the first step to transferring ownership of our life and all material possessions to God. This means your very life, money, and time, family, material possessions, education— even earning potential for the future. God's Word says that we must be willing to transfer ownership of every material thing in our possession to Him if we truly want to be spiritually free.
When we recognize that God owns everything and all blessings come from Him, our role as managers, or stewards, becomes evident. When we view ourselves as owners and not managers, we'll look at every other aspect of our lives the same way. Each of us will see himself or herself as the person in charge, but that can change quickly in the face of circumstances beyond our control. But if God is the owner and we are simply His stewards, we need only to be concerned with how best to manage His possessions. In so doing, life is no longer our possession; it is God's possession, which we hold in trust. But because we will have to give an account of how well we managed His material goods and possessions, we must to the best of our ability use the resources as we feel He would use it and in a manner that is pleasing to Him.
As stewards of God's possessions that have been entrusted to us, we must ask whether God would be pleased with our stewardship or with the way that we have use and spent His resources. Would God be pleased with His steward indulging in material excess, while millions are starving to death or living below poverty line and His servants who are striving to take His Gospel to the far corners of the earth, are in need and in want? Would God be pleased with His steward using His money to satisfy personal selfish desires at the expense of the unsaved? Would He be pleased that His stewards all too often choose to fulfill their own directive rather than to fulfill His Great Commission?
After decades of espousing the latest in
new management techniques, many business consultants are now coming to the
conclusion that what most companies need is not more refined management
techniques but Godly leadership. The pages of
Scripture likewise attest the virtue of men like Moses, Abraham, Joshua, Nehemiah
and Peter, Paul whose courage and faith were vehicles of God's blessing and
success on the multitudes who followed them. Perhaps nowhere is the quality of
leadership better exemplified than in the remarkable life of Nehemiah, a
quality of leadership we can emulate today regardless of our profession.
Beyond a shadow of a
doubt, Jesus Christ is the ultimate example and the greatest Leader
ever lived on the planet. Five general categories describe the
leadership style of Christ. First, He was a leader with a clear mission (Plan, Purpose
and Vision). Second Jesus’ primary motivation and purpose were glorification of
His heavenly Father. Third, Jesus was a leader with consistent character
(organized). He lived what He taught with authority and believed. (Directed)Fourth,
He was a leader with a capable team. (Staffing) Finally He paid the price
(Ransom) (Controlling) He knew with committed, gifted individuals around Him,
He would reach the world. God's ownership
of everything and your stewardship is central to management. It is essential
that we too use the following five frame
principles of basic management concept.
1. Planning
2. Organizing
3. Staffing
4. Directing
5. Controlling
It does not really
matter what the nature of products or services one provides, but one has to
manage an organization by repeating the five functions listed above in that
sequence over and over again.
Genesis 1 establishes that although both people
and nature are created works of God and under God’s authority, God has given
people dominion over nature to Sustained Order and Purpose. But, how are
people to exercise this dominion? God created people in His own image -
as His representatives on earth. Because we are under God’s authority in
all things, we are to do God’s will when exercising our dominion over nature.
In Genesis 1:28, God tells people to subdue nature. The word
“subdue” is translated from the Hebrew work “kabash” which means to make to
serve, by force if necessary. But “subdue” does not man “abuse”, just as
the phrase “rule over” in the Bible does not mean “exercise tyranny over”.
Some specific instructions pertaining to managing nature are given
in Genesis 2: “The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to
work it and take care of it”(Genesis 2:15, NIV). The phrase, “to work it”
means “to till it” or “to cultivate it”; the general meaning is to use
productively. The phrase to “take care of it” means “to keep”, “to
guard”, “to exercise great care over”. The intent of “keeping, guarding,
caring over” is to sustain the function for which the element of nature or
natural system being cared for was originally designed. Sustaining the
original God-designed functions of nature is a very important objective from
theological, ethical and practical standpoints. God will watch how you manage
resources by how you manage His temple (your body). By observing good
management principles, you can save, conserve, protect, and expand your
resources.
Bible says “When
no bush of the field was yet in the land and no small plant of
the field had yet sprung up—for the Lord God had not caused it to
rain on the land, and there was no man to work the ground” Genesis 2:5
The following structure
displays the four clauses and the general Hebrew word order: (1) no shrub of
the field was yet on the Earth (2) no plant of the field had yet sprouted
for (3) no rain sent by the Lord God on
the Earth (4) no man to work the ground. This structure and word order make it
clear that there are definitely two things needed (rain and man) to solve the
two-fold problem (no plant and no growth). The Bible indeed says
that God had not caused it to rain upon the Earth, but also quickly adds, "there was no man to till the
ground."
Genesis 2 is not a day
by day report in sequence. It starts with a reference to the condition of the
earth (2:5–6). Since humans are created in God’s image, we can learn
something about what God is like from this passage that God wants a leader to
work or a manger to manage the ground. So in the absence of a man God didn’t
allow the Rain and growth.
When governments
collapse, human philosophies fail and your life is crashing down around you,
rediscovering the original leadership perception will become your guide through
the storms of life. The greatest CHALLENGE in life is to know what to do.
Applying the leadership principle will bring a new sense of relevance and
purpose to your spiritual, emotional, and physical life.
To be continued…………
