In God’s economy, Christian leaders bear a special responsibility and accountability. Read Jeremiah 25:33-38.

God’s words delivered through the prophet Jeremiah paint a terrible picture of God’s wrath against the national and religious leaders of the nation of Judah. God will judge the guilty but reserves a special fury for corrupt leaders. Just as in ancient Judah, Christian leaders today will still be held accountable by God for how they use their gifts to administer the trust of leadership He has given to them.

No leader can get high enough on the organizational chart to escape accountability. Read Isaiah 40:12-31.

The higher a leader goes on the org chart the less people there are to hold them accountable, but no one escapes accountability to God. In verses 12-31 Isaiah reflects on the majesty of God. God is the leader who has no superior, no one to judge Him. The entire world and all the people are only like dust on His scales. All the trees in an entire nation are not enough to offer a burnt offering to one with this majesty. Isaiah tells the people of Judah that all the leaders from the king on down will be accountable to God. Isaiah isn’t talking about the external appearance of accountability but the accountability that goes to the inner-hidden-secret thoughts and attitudes.

Leaders are accountable for how they use their power and influence. Read Isaiah 14:3-23.

Chapters 13 and 14 of Isaiah deal primarily with God’s judgment of the nation of ancient Babylon. Babylon had a relatively short period of military world dominance compared to nations such as Egypt, Assyria, Persia, Rome, etc. In 586 BC Babylon captured Jerusalem for the third time in less than three decades. The fury of this third invasion and mistreatment of the Jewish people was horrific even for the unacceptable standards of the day. Jerusalem was leveled, people massacred, and the vast majority of those left alive were subjected to a death march and taken in disgrace to Babylon where they were held in exile.

Those who lead will be held accountable for how they use their power and influence. Read Isaiah 3:13-15.

God condemned Israel’s leaders because they abused the power of the office. When these leaders crushed the poor for their own profit they violated a trust with God concerning the gift He had given them. Their power and influence gave them a position that allowed them to display their true character and core values by their actions. They proved that the more power leaders gain, the more they reveal truths about themselves. Power not only allows but actually causes the heart to disclose its contents.

An important component of leadership is conflict management. Read Isaiah 2:1-5.

Isaiah’s description of life under God’s rule in the last days sets a pattern for leadership. An important component is the peace that results from settling disputes. The symbol used to represent peace is reshaping weapons formerly used to settle disputes into tools used to create an abundant life; they will reshape efforts once used to destroy into efforts of productive work.