The Heart Of A Leader A Kingdom leader is someone who is purposefully and skillfully influencing others by example and action to grow in their walk with Jesus Christ and to fruitfully serve His purpose for their lives. –Dale O’Shields

I. What is the most important aspect of a leader’s make up?   The most important aspect of a leader’s make up is his or her heart. God is very concerned about the heart of all of His people, but He is especially concerned about the heart of the leaders of His people (Deut. 8:2; II Chr. 16:9; Jer. 17:9-10).

The heart of a leader is the most important aspect of a leader’s make up.  It is our heart that affects what we say and how we say it (Mt. 12:33-37). It is our heart that determines whether we minister things that produce life or death (Mark 7:14-23). The heart of a leader will have a big impact on a leader’s fruit.

Every aspect of our life is affected by our heart (Pro. 4:23). God chooses people on the basis of what is on the inside, not what is on the outside (I Sam. 16:7). God judges people on the basis of what is in their heart (Pro. 21:2; Jer. 17:9-10).

The heart of a leader is to be the first object of ministry for a leader (Acts 20:28; I Tim. 4:16).  God wants us to give him our hearts just as a father desires of his son (Pro. 23:26).  O my son, give me your heart. May your eyes delight in my ways of wisdom. –NLT God wants us to guard our hearts (Pro. 4:23; Jer. 12:3).

The Hebrew word here implies several things that we must do in relation to our heart.  We must guard our hearts from unfaithfulness to the Lord (I Chr. 29:19; Neh. 9:8). We must guard our hearts from the dangers of false doctrine (I Tim. 4:6-7). We must guard our hearts from wrong motivations (I Th. 2:3-7; Jam. 4:8).

II. How can the heart be defined?   A. The literal word “heart” can refer to many different things. The following is taken from School of Ministry course, Pastoral Ministry. The English word “heart” can refer to…

The central organ of the vascular system A hollow structure which maintains the circulation of the blood  3. The seat of the affections and emotions  4. One’s innermost thoughts and feelings  5. The vital and essential part

B. The word “heart” in the Bible nearly always has a spiritual connotation and refers to the moral core of a person.  As such it is the seat of our thoughts and intents (Gen. 6:5). As such it is the seat of our emotions (Gen. 6:6; 27:41; Ex. 36:2). As such it speaks of our imaginations and inner desires (Gen. 8:21).

As such it speaks of the thinking or conscious part of our person (Gen As such it speaks of what you really are and not what you pretend to be (Gen. 20:5-6). As such it is the place from which our motivations arise.    C. There are many conditions of the heart that are described in the Bible.

III. What are some of the wrong motives that could be in the heart of a leader?   A person could be motivated by personal ambition. 1. To be in the limelight (Mt. 6:1-5; 23:5) 2. To build a name for oneself (Gen. 11:4; Phil. 1:15-16; 2:3-9) 3. To be great in man’s eyes (Jer. 45:5; Is. 14:13-14)

4. To seek praise from men (Pro. 25:27; 27:2; John 7:18; Jer. 9:23-24) 5. To be honored by men (Mt. 6:2; John 5:44) 6. To please or impress men (I Th. 2:4; Gal. 1:10) 7. To have a following (Acts 20:29-30)

B. A person could be motivated by money or material possessions (John 10:12; I Pet. 5:2; II Pet. 2:3; II Cor. 12:16-19).   C. A person could be motivated by power or authority (I Pet. 5:3; Mt. 20:20-28). For a fuller discussion of these motivations refer to School of Ministry course, Pastoral Ministry.

What are the proper motives that should be in the heart of every shepherd? A person could be motivated by a desire to glorify God with their life (I Pet. 4:11; I Cor. 10:31).  A person could be motivated by a love for God, a love for people and a love for the church (John 21:15-17; I Th. 2:5-8; Phil. 1:7-8; I Chr. 29:3; John 2:17) 

A person could be motivated by a desire to fulfill God’s will (Phil D. A person could be motivated by a desire to win the lost (I Cor. 9:19-23; 10:33; Rom. 10:1)  E. A person could be motivated by a desire to be rewarded by God (Heb. 11:6; II Chr. 15:7; I Cor. 3:8-15).  F. A person could be motivated by a burning heart (Jer. 20:9).  

For a fuller discussion of these motivations refer to School of Ministry course, Pastoral Ministry.  

V. How can a leader examine his or her heart?   As leaders we must be willing to guard our hearts and examine our hearts to see if there is any wicked way in us (Ps. 139:23-24). Jesus was able to say, “Satan hath nothing in Me” (John 14:30, KJV). Other translations say:

He has no hold on me. –Mof He has nothing in common with Me. –TCNT He has no claim on Me. –Beck There is nothing in Me that belongs to him. – AMP Ask yourself some self-examination questions.  

Am I in leadership to make a name for myself or to be great in man’s eyes? Am I in leadership because I like the idea of position and power over others? Am I in leadership to fulfill a certain need in me? A need for acceptance. A need for attention. A need for a sense of self-worth and value.  

Am I in leadership for the purpose of personal gain Am I in leadership for the purpose of personal gain? Do I see ministry and people as a means to an end? Am I in leadership for what I can get out of it personally? Continually pull yourself back to the heart of Jesus—a servant’s heart.  It is easy to lose a servant’s heart. There are a number of things that can cause you to lose a servant’s heart.  

When people murmur and complain about you when you have given yourself sacrificially to them. When you are hurt by those that you have been trying to help. When you start to believe that you have paid your dues and sacrificed enough and now you owe it to yourself to reap what you have sown.

When you focus on the material prosperity of others who are serving themselves and seemingly getting away with it. When you start listening to the humanistic life to serve yourself. Ask God for an impartation of His heart to your heart (Ezek. 36:26-27).