Those closest to a leader have great influence as a leader’s character develops. Read 1 Kings 21:25-26.

Ahab’s marriage to Jezebel, the princess of Tyre, didn’t help his character. She zealously promoted the worship of Baal and imported an army of pagan priests in defiance of Yahweh, the God of Israel. Ahab complied with his wife’s demands and came to hate the prophets of Yahweh. Thus, “There was never a man like Ahab, who sold himself to do evil in the eyes of the Lord, urged on by Jezebel his wife.”

Christian leaders never find what they are looking for when they abandon God in favor of their own interests. Read 1 Kings 22.

The king of Aram had captured and was now governing Ramoth Gilead, a city that was militarily strategic and economically important to both Judah and Israel. Jehoshaphat king of Judah and Ahab King of Israel determined together to take the city back from the king of Aram.

A fact that we all know but never really want to speak out loud is that sometimes selfish, angry, bullies become leaders in positions of authority. Read 1 Kings 19:1-2 and 1 Kings 21.

King Ahab of Israel married Jezebel, daughter of the King of Tyre. To put it mildly, Jezebel was not the kind of woman one would feel comfortable taking home to meet mother. This wicked queen was a power-hungry, abusive, scary woman. To get the complete picture of this leader read 1 Kings 16-21 and 2 Kings 9 but the assigned passages will give a quick overview.

Discouragement can find subtle ways to enter a leader’s life. A beloved, valued teammate gets restless and moves away; you need to work extra hours on a short term project and become physically exhausted; you neglect your daily prayer and devotion time; something goes wrong at home and it seems that for months nothing has worked according to plan. You begin to evade a few responsibilities; you begin to blame others; and you blur the facts to meet your own emotional needs. Before you know it, discouragement has landmines buried in your path and all around you. Discouragement doesn’t always have to be a process and take place over time. Sometimes discouragement hits a leader after a great loss or a great victory. Read 1 Kings 19:1-15.

Elijah became a discouraged leader following a great victory over the false prophets of the land. Emotionally drained, physically spent, full of self-pity, Elijah broke. He became discouraged after a threat from royalty and ran for his life. If you have been around leadership long you know the feeling Elijah had in his stomach and the paralysis he experienced being totally unable to fix the situation.

Principles, not emotions, must guide leaders. Read 1 Kings 19:1-3.

In the Maxwell Leadership Bible, John Maxwell discusses some elements of emotion in leadership.

• Emotions are wonderful servants, but poor leaders.
• How ironic that Elijah would flee from Jezebel! The courageous leader who successfully confronted 450 prophets of Baal and 400 prophets of Asherah turned on his heels and ran from a wicked woman who threatened his life.
• How could it happen? The phenomenon of emotional burnout helps us make sense of the incident. Leaders burn out when they pay out huge emotional expenses without replenishing the inner person. Review what happened…