Have you noticed we are moving towards crunch time of election season? The U.S. National Elections are just a few weeks away and candidates seem to be working overtime garnering support from voters.

How serious do you take your role as a voter? I think this is a very important time to do your due diligence in understanding the candidates and how well they would do as a leader.

Our culture seems to emphasize that we should be impressed by a candidate’s power, charisma, communication skills, academic degrees, appearance, and wealth, as these things would naturally add up to good leadership skills.

I would look instead to understanding a candidate’s personal purpose, their vision, and their values. True leadership emulates from a person’s purpose. Before following them you should know what that person fully believes and where they plan on taking you.

Questions that will help you determine whether or not a candidate is a leader you want to follow might include:

• What is their purpose and how does that align with the direction you want to go?
• What are their values and how do they align with yours?
• Do you see their behaviors reflecting their stated values?
• What is their vision of life and of the people that they are going to be serving?
• What direction do they think the world should be taking?

It rests upon our shoulders as voters to determine the answers to these questions. If we don’t we stand the risk of falling into a pit with them. Jesus warned us “If a blind man leads a blind man, both will fall into a pit”.

I know I want to follow servant leaders. I want to know that my leader has my best interests in mind, as well as the overall best interests of the people they are serving.

Servant leaders:

• Have character and conviction for their purpose and their values.
• Are more concerned about pursuing purpose than gaining followers
• Do not manipulate people, they inspire people
• Do not look to gain power, instead they empower people
• Do not look to control others, they serve others
• Model the way with their actions and behaviors

I encourage you to do your due diligence as you prepare for carrying out our honor as U.S. Citizens to vote on November 4. Our destiny as a community / state / country lies in the hands of our future leaders.

Mark

First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior,

 1 Timothy 2:1-3