Legitimate leaders - are able to discern the difference between righteousness and evil, between clean and unclean, the holy and unholy, and make their decisions according to that discernment. They abhor mixture or any type of behavior or relationship that would jeopardize the authority needed to defeat God’s spiritual enemies. They have confidence in spiritual battles simply because they maintain a clean camp and therefore know God is with them.
Legitimate Leaders - are committed to developing and maintaining godly healthy character, competency of skill, and sound quality decision-making. They know quality of character trumps gifting, anointing, position, and leadership ability. Next to quality character, competency of skill is an absolute must in effectively leading God’s people into the place He has ordained for them. Their finely honed and uncompromised discernment along with the input of trusted peers steers their decision- making towards hitting the mark.
Legitimate Leaders - do not lead their people into compromising behavior, self-defeating situations, demonic captivity, or behaviors or lifestyles that deny the truth of God's word. In their love for God’s people they are fully aware that their leadership can make all the difference in whether God’s people are spiritually victorious and successful in working out and walking out their salvation. Realizing that their behavior and lifestyle will be imitated, they live and walk in the fear of the Lord.
Legitimate leaders – have a plan and protocol for guarding themselves against the temptation of sexual immorality. They fully understand the devastating effect sexual improprieties could have upon their wives, children, family, and the people they serve, people who look to them as a model of sound spiritual leadership and integrity. Hence, they guard themselves impeccably.
Legitimate leaders – understand the importance of making themselves totally accountable to a group of God fearing peers. They know personal accountability is one key to guarding, maintaining, and upgrading their character and integrity.
Legitimate leaders - do not have to always be in the lime light, on the stage, or basking in the adoration of men. Fully aware of their neediness and its desire to seek the approval and acceptance of others, they guard themselves against self-promotion, pursuing preeminence, or having to be first. They absolutely realize that promotion comes from the Lord and not from man.
Legitimate Leaders - regularly practice humility, repentance, forgiveness, legitimate reconciliation, true justice, restitution, and kingdom pursuits. They know that these spiritual disciplines position them to be ever ready to hear and quickly respond to the leading of the Lord.
Legitimate leaders - seek to reproduce God fearing, spiritually sound, emotionally stable, mentally steadfast, accountable, and covenant keeping leaders. They know that effective stable life- changing leaders are very much needed within the body of Christ, if we are going to fulfill God’s mandates for global transformation.
Legitimate Leaders – do not participate in political intrigue, nor do they bow their knee to political correctness. They are not blown about by every wind or whim of the opinions of men. They do not change sound biblical positions because of the pressure of the media, the masses, or what some consider the movers and shakers. The only party they belong to is the kingdom of God party
Ultimately, legitimate leaders are not perfect, but their heart motivations are evident by the words, actions, and behaviors they exhibit in their daily routine. And just as David sought after God’s own heart, so do they.