Book Review

Called to be God’s Leader
Lessons from the life of Joshua
Henry Blackaby & Richard Blackaby,
Thomas Nelson, Nashville. 2004

Review By Jo van Leerdam
 

Henry Blackaby and Richard Blackaby are a father/son duo who are both involved in full time ministry. Dr Henry Blackaby is a prolific writer, having authored numerous other books. Called to be God’s Leader is the third in Dr Blackaby’s “God’s Legacy” series, with Called to be God’s Friend (about Abraham) and Called to be God’s Prophet (about Samuel) preceding it.

Called to be God’s Leader presents a Biblical model of leadership, by which God chooses people and equips them for the tasks He gives them. The example given throughout this book is Joshua, who was chosen, trained, and appointed by God to be the leader of the fledgling nation of Israel. This book is particularly interesting because it compares and contrasts this biblical model of leadership with the lives and leadership styles of many prominent world leaders, including George Washington, Elizabeth 1, Winston Churchill, and Abraham Lincoln. It also draws on the personal experiences of the authors, adding a contemporary church context.

Called to be God’s Leader is thought provoking and challenging on the matters of faith, spiritual discipline, obedience and trust. The teaching is Biblical and straightforward. I particularly like the way that the principles of leadership are drawn from Scripture, and the human examples are then applied to demonstrate the reliability of those principles. Thus we see that human experience bears out the truth of the word of God.

Called to be God’s Leader would be beneficial not just for those who are already leaders among us, but also for those who neither aspire to nor hold a position of leadership. Our churches would be blessed through a greater general awareness and appreciation of the role of leaders and the pressures upon them, as well as an enriched understanding of how to follow our leaders and serve alongside them in the most encouraging and helpful way.

The introduction states that “God is no less capable of transforming our lives into His powerful instruments than He was with Joshua’s life.” We do tend to think of the great characters in the Bible as “special people” but the truth is they were ordinary people whom the Lord used in special ways when they were faithful and obedient to Him. The biblical model of leadership presented here is equally effective today and this book challenges us to apply it to our own service and ministry in God’s kingdom.

The Biblical principles of leadership demonstrated in ‘Called to be God’s Leader’ are applicable also to Christians who run small businesses or work as managers over other people. The concept of godly leadership is not exclusive to church based situations.

Sessions, pastors’ fraternal groups, small groups, and youth leaders could use ‘Called to be God’s Leader’ in group study situations, as well as for the enrichment of leadership training. This book is also quite suitable for individual study and growth. At the end of each chapter there is a summary of the main leadership principle and important topics covered in that chapter, and questions for reflection and discussion. This book would make a great gift for Christmas, to nurture someone who you think the Lord may be calling into leadership or ministry, or to encourage the leaders we already have.
 

Books
Music
Movies
Return to top of page

All material on this site © 2004 Trowel & Sword

Privacy