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principle-centered leadership
For generations the concept of principle-based leadership was held in high esteem. We garnered many popular phrases that live on even today: That doesn't seem right. His word is his bond. That's where I draw the line. Just say no.
We used to be inspired as a society by examples of those who made difficult decisions on the basis of principle. No more. Offices such as that of the US President were shining testaments to principled leadership. Now, when a president is caught not only with his pants down but in an obvious lie society shrugs off the event and looks the other way, claiming that his ability to lead has nothing to do with his personal integrity.
Let's pretend for a minute that principled leadership still makes sense. Can we live out principles on our own power? Could we ever? Can anyone truly adhere to a set of principles so strongly that no matter what came up, they don't compromise? It is extremely difficult—perhaps impossible—to do that on our own power. It is my personal belief that only by giving our lives over to the higher autority of Jesus Christ can we have the power to live by our convictions.
Let's take a look at some examples from history of men and women who stood by their principles and what these situations meant over time.
Abram (Abraham)
see Genesis 14:21-23
Abram collected some men and raced after the villains who kidnapped his nephew, Lot. He reclaimed tens of thousands, perhaps hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of stolen merchandise. He then gave one-tenth of his booty to Melchizedeck, a God-fearing king who ruled the site of what would become Jerusalem. But when the ungodly king of Sodom offered him a major reward for his efforts, Abram flatly refused. "I will accept nothing belonging to you, not even a thread or the thong of a sandal, so that you will never be able to say, ‘I made Abram rich.’"
What a guy.
How many Christian businesspeople today would hold their ground against an offer of wealth? How easy it would have been for Abram to justify the gift. After all, he and his men worked hard and fought hard to regain the captives. And you could give so much more to the church with all that extra wealth at your disposal! But Abram said no. He lived by principles, not by emotions.
Joseph
Genesis 39:6-12
Just imagine the setting. Potiphar’s wife. Quite likely a beautiful woman. Quite likely a woman who was not used to being turned down by a man. She made an effort to ensure that the atmosphere for this seduction was absolutely perfect. Surely she put on some sexy clothing. No doubt she looked and smelled her very best for the occasion, and the Bible suggests that she brazenly displayed her feminine sexuality in an effort to turn Joseph on physically.
Joseph had told her earlier that he would consider sexual involvement a "sin against God." He could have simply said it would be a sin against his master, or that he didn’t believe in affairs, but instead he used her attempts at seduction as an opportunity to witness about his faith. Potiphar’s wife failed to understand such a concept. She simply could not grasp the idea that a man--any man--could refuse her on moral grounds.
But, although many other men would have fallen for her come-on, Joseph didn’t budge from his principles. He literally ran from the room, leaving half his clothing behind. True principles will not bend under any circumstances.
Elisha
2 Kings 5
Elisha calls upon God to heal Naaman of leprosy. Naaman washed himself as he had been told, and was healed. Overcome with gratitude, he went to Elisha and offered him money, as an offering. But Elisha realized the danger of accepting such a gift. He knew that it would appear as if Naaman had bought his health from Elisha, and Elisha would have nothing to do with such a perception. He did not relent, even after much pleading. It was common for prophets to receive offerings, so this refusal greatly troubled Elisha’s servant Gehazi. Gehazi did not understand the principle that kept Elisha from accepting money from Naaman. And, like many Christians today, his own lack of principles caused him to give in to feelings of greed. He justified the money in his own mind. It ate away at his soul until he actually went after Naaman and lied to receive some for himself. Gehazi’s lack of principles cost him his own health.
Job
Job 2:1-10
Both of these rather short examples can relate to theme of health and well-being as a result of strong inner peace.
Even though he did not understand why he was suffering, and even though his so-called friends were beginning to chip away at his unquestioning faith that God doesn't need a human reason for doing things, Job did not for an instant let up on his principles. God uses Job's integrity to show Satan that integrity can be strong enough to withstand all of our enemies' attacks. Job's suffering must have been enormous; even his own wife wanted him to give it up. "Are you still holding on to your integrity?" she asks him, astonished that his anguish did not cause a slide into sin. So often we see people justify immoral decisions on grounds of suffering or poverty. A good example is that of Christians who support abortion or euthanasia. But Job did not let up on his convictions for even a moment. He was a man of principles.
Daniel
Daniel 1:8-20, 6:3-23
Just a young man when he was brought into the service of the king, Daniel already showed a commitment to principles. The Life Application Bible describes Daniel 1:8 this way:
Resolve is a strong word that means to be devoted to principle and to be committed to a course of action. When Daniel resolved not to defile himself, he was being true to a lifelong determination to do what was right and not to give in to the pressures around him. We too are often assaulted by pressures to compromise our standards and live more like the world around us. Merely wanting or preferring God’s will and way is not enough to stand against the onslaught of temptation. Like Daniel, we must resolve to obey God.
It is easier to resist temptation if you have thought through your convictions well before the temptation arrives. Daniel and his friends made their decision to be faithful to the laws of God before they were faced with the king’s delicacies, so they did not hesitate to stick with their convictions. We will get into trouble if we have not previously decided where to draw the line. Before such situations arise, decide on your commitments. Then when temptation comes, you will be ready to say "no."
In chapter 6, Daniel again shows himself to stand firm by his principles. His ethical conduct had attracted the attention of his coworkers, who probably felt that he was showing them up. So they schemed to trap him. The Bible says that "when he learned that the decree had been published, he went home and prayed"—publicly! One of his principles was to pray three times every day, regardless of circumstances. He could have chosen to pray secretly. After all, it was only a 30-day limitation. If a similar law were enacted today, how many Christians would justify softening their prayer life on the grounds that they would be breaking the law? How many, when in a public place, compromise their standards and pray in secret, lest they offend someone? Even in restaurants, we often find ourselves making our prayers short and unobtrusive, and we justify our actions with Matthew 6:6. Daniel, on the other hand, realized that his own witness was being tested here. Hiding would have shown that he was afraid of the officials; that his God was less important than their law. He did what he had to do: he ensured that everyone knew that he put his relationship with God ahead of the law, even though it would cost him his life.
Shadrach, Meshach & Abednego
Daniel 3
The Bible doesn’t say if other Jews refused to fall down and worship the image, but these three were singled out as public examples. What a situation: pray to a statue, or be burned alive! Knowing that our God is a loving, forgiving God, many people would bow down and then ask His forgiveness. God would know that they didn’t mean it. But Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego had principles that came ahead of their own lives. They did not know that God would spare their lives. All they knew was that they would not worship any idol—not for any reason.
Are you ready to stand by your convictions, no matter what? When you stand firmly for God, you will stand out. And sometimes, standing by your principles will be painful. But you will have the satisfaction of knowing who you are and what you stand for.
The Recabite family
Jeremiah 35
Jeremiah brought this family, as he had been asked to by God Himself, into the church where he offered them wine. He knew nothing about their commitments. He likely expected them to drink it, because God had commanded this setting to take place. But the entire family had shown themselves to be true to their principles. Where the nation of Israel had consistently disobeyed an infallible God, the Recabites had obeyed a fallible human—for hundreds of years! It would have been easy for a future generation to justify the drinking of wine, on the grounds that the order applied to Jonadab’s sons and therefor not to the grandsons. But they did not fall for such logical traps. They had principles, and they lived by them. God rewarded them richly for their faithfulness.
The apostle Peter
Acts 8:18-20
Peter was a new man after the resurrection of Christ. Although he had shaky convictions that didn’t hold up under pressure when Jesus was being tried—denying Christ three times out of fear—Peter was now a man with sold principles that would not bend. He may well have needed money, which could be why Simon saw that as the right lure, but this time he would not be swayed. Peter rebuked Simon harshly for the offer. He didn’t even justify the offer as "training fees" for ministry work. He saw that accepting this money would give Simon an incorrect view of what was really happening when people were healed. And he valued Simon’s salvation enough to protect him from this misconception.