Two days after I finished my ultimate Global Partnership experience, I was off again. This time, though, I was off to my own city, Hamilton, for a conference with 100+ Inter-Varsity campus staff from around the country. It was our yearly staff conference for learning and fun.
At a typical Inter-Varsity staff conference, we always start with inductive Bible study in the morning, and this year was no exception. We looked at the life of Moses, specifically Exodus 32-36.7, in terms of his leadership. And what a character study it was.
Exodus 32 starts with Aaron listening to the people and building a golden calf because Moses was on the mountain too long hanging out with God. As Moses heads down the mountain and figures out what is going on with the people, he acts quickly but also with intention.
He melts the calf, grinds it up, and makes the people drink it. He then pleads with God so that God, in His anger, will not destroy the people. I am not going to begin the debate on whether Moses changes God's mind.
In studying this passage carefully, I observed that Moses is persistent and knows God's heart. He also knows how to bargain. Over and over again, he asks God to show him favour and when God responds with a favourable response, Moses then asks God to show the people favour, and finally, to take them back as His people.
What I learned is how persistent Moses is, and just how much he wants to see more of God. In the passage, it says that Moses talked to God like they were friends, but Moses still wanted more of God. He asked God to reveal His glory and His ways.
To me, that is true leadership, when leaders lead their people according to the ways of God, and not of themselves. And in leading in this way, they will learn more about themselves, becoming more of the individuals that God intended them to be.
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