Tough times reveal the genuineness of a leader’s commitment. Read Habakkuk 3:17-19.

Habakkuk had expressed frustration and some disillusionment with God’s decision to use the Babylonians to bring judgment on the Jewish people. His commitment to God “seemed” to be hinged to God’s justifying His actions. Something changed between chapter 1 and chapter 3. Habakkuk saw God as his sovereign and Lord and committed everything in his life to serve Him. Habakkuk concludes his book with a ringing declaration of his commitment.

God-honoring leaders place extreme importance on values in long-range planning. Read Micah 2:1-5.

Micah shows us what it looks like when leaders eliminate godly values when making plans for the future. He paints a picture of leaders who plan evil and carry it out “because they have the power to do it.” Israel’s leaders forced their plans on the poor and oppressed who were unable to stop them. The government, religious, and business leaders were defrauding them of their homes and inheritance. Through Micah God gave a stern warning that He would thwart the schemes of those who plan and plot evil for their own gain.

A Christian leader should seek to match their values with values stated as desirable in God’s Word. Read Jonah 4:1-11.

Jonah felt great delight when God planned to destroy the wicked people of Nineveh. Jonah didn’t pull any punches; he wanted the city of Nineveh, the center of the Assyrian empire that had tortured his people for years, destroyed. Jonah was angry when God showed compassion and did not bring about the destruction that Jonah felt the Assyrians deserved. Jonah failed as a prophet because he abandoned his God-honoring values and acted on his own sense of what God should do. Jonah’s values failed to match God’s values.

Even reluctant leaders can be used by God. Read Jonah 1:1-17 and 3:1-3.

Jonah left no doubt how he felt about giving any encouragement or hope to the Assyrians living in Nineveh. He knew them to be a cruel, idolatrous, proud, ruthless people and even though he was a God-chosen prophet, when God commanded him to preach repentance to the Ninevites, Jonah went the opposite direction. Rather than be too quick to judge Jonah we should ask who among us, which leader hasn’t sensed God telling them to do something they really didn’t want to do. It can be pretty easy to convince ourselves that we know better than God in some circumstances.

Leaders who lack character are often more destructive to an organization than helpful. Read Jonah 1:1-12.

Jonah was God’s prophet in Israel between 785-775 B. C. approximately 175 years after the reign of Solomon. Assyria is the dominate world power and in approximately 60 years, in 722 B. C, will have a military victory over the Northern Kingdom of Israel and will take the majority of those living in Israel into exile. Israel and Judah had already seen several examples of the cruelty, tyranny and brutality of Assyria and were living in great fear of any Assyrian military move against them.