Leadership is a tough gig.

John Wimber was once reported to have said; “being a leader is like signing up to be ugly.” There are many times I know exactly what he meant. Over the years my leadership influence has increased and as it has grown I have felt the increasing weight of it, and the increasing need to remain humble, rooted, and connected to Jesus.

As human beings we weren’t designed to have too much power. Left to our own devices power will corrupt us, we become too attached to it. All we need to do is watch any leader who’s power has outstripped their character and we witness a car crash.

I’m not judging them, no one is immune to this.

As I was reading through the Bible this morning I landed in 2 Chronicles where Solomon and his men have just finished building the temple in Jerusalem. It seems like it was an incredible building, I’m sure the people had never seen anything like it – thinking in pure leadership terms this was a big win for Solomon. In chapter 5 we hear about the Ark being brought into the temple and the glory of the Lord filling the temple to such an extent that the priests couldn’t do their duties.

There then comes to the moment where Solomon dedicates the temple. By this stage Solomon had a lot of power, he was well respected for his wisdom, the riches he was amassing and how revered the nation of Israel was. He could have said and done anything on that platform and people would have loved him.

I love that what he chooses to do is this

Then Solomon stood before the altar of the LORD in front of the whole assembly of Israel and spread out his hands. 13 Now he had made a bronze platform, five cubits long, five cubits wide and three cubits high, and had placed it in the center of the outer court. He stood on the platform and then knelt down before the whole assembly of Israel and spread out his hands toward heaven 2 Chronicles 6:12-13 NIV

He goes on to pray to God but what I want to note is his posture. He could have taken in the people’s adoration, their shouts and claps but instead he models head bowed, knees down leadership.

This was for the glory of God, not Solomon.

I wish the story ended well for Solomon but we find that the allure of power eventually got to him but this story must remind us again that as leaders, our job is to serve God before anyone else and that the glory must always be His.