Read Exodus 33:7-11; 34:5b-9, 28 & Matthew 13:36-43
“And Moses made haste to bow his head toward the earth, and worshiped. And he said, ‘If now I have found favour in thy sight, O Lord, let the Lord, I pray thee, go in the midst of us, although it is a stiff-necked people; and pardon our iniquity and our sin, and take us for thy inheritance.” (Exodus 34:8-9).
In the parable of the weeds among the wheat, we can see that there are different kinds of people in the world. The good seed represents those of us who believe in God and are children of the kingdom while the weeds represent the children of the world who love to perpetrate evil.
As much as we live side by side with evildoers, we are supposed to be leaders in our own little ways. Leading others is not easy. Sometimes, like Moses, you may find yourself alone against the crowd. Moses was just one man yet as one man, he was able to bring an entire nation to repentance from idolatry.
Upon returning from the mountain with the stone tablets, Moses could have decided to keep his mouth shut in timidity since the crowd outnumbered him. He could have given in to pressure like the weak Aaron who fashioned a golden calf for them. But then, Moses stood his ground, he stood for what was right even if it was not popular. Moses did not believe in the dictum: “if you can’t beat them, join them.” Instead, he beat them until they all joined him. This is leadership.
Leadership is not easy but there is a secret to being successful at it: PRAYER. As a man, Moses was very weak; he lacked physical strength having passed his youthful age. He was a meek person, he couldn’t speak coherently and with confidence (hence the need for Aaron). The success of his leadership prowess came from his constant meetings with God.
Every good leader must have a tent of meeting with God. Every good leader must have the habit of going up to the mountain to consult with God. If we are not in tune with God by daily prayer, we are powerless. God had made up his mind to destroy the people but Moses pleaded and God spared the nation. In truth, leaders are prayer warriors.
If you are a leader in any capacity, be you a Father or Mother, a teacher, a minister, a public official, never become too busy to pray. Remember, no matter how hard you work, you can never work harder than God; you can never say: “God, I don’t need you.” You can never depend on yourself. Revive your prayer life today.
Let us pray: Lord Jesus, equip me each day to be a better leader. Amen.
Be Happy. Live Positive. Have Faith. It is well with you. God bless you. (Tuesday of week 17 in Ordinary Time. Bible Study: Exodus 33:7-11; 34:5b-9, 28 & Matthew 13:36-43).