5 QUALITIES WE SHOULD LOOK FOR IN OUR POLITICAL LEADERS – SENATOR UMAR TANKO ALMAKURA.
What makes a good president? Or a good governor? Or a good king or prime minister? What kind of civil magistrate is a blessing to his people? What kind of governing authority is a curse to his people? In short, what qualities should we look for in our political leaders?
The word “qualities” is essential. Of course, we are right to care about the views of our political leaders. It matters where they stand on certain issues. Their ideas about the purposes of government are crucial. What they think about morality and the human person and about human nature (if they even believe in such things) is foundational. Their experiences, their ability to communicate, their practical know-how regarding the ins and outs of government—all of these are critically important.
And yet, we can make a good case that the ruler’s character is what is most important. Almost all of the important ideas and abilities listed above are downstream from character—the well-formed character that includes “hard” virtues and “soft” virtues. From a biblical perspective, personal integrity is not a sufficient condition for good political leadership, but it is a necessary condition. While some sins and bad behavior can be kept hidden (at least from some people, some of the time), there is no dividing wall that can keep a person’s private character away from his public governance.
That’s why I have more to say about the moral qualities of those who govern than it does about a specific form of civil government. This doesn’t mean every form of government is as good as another. But it does mean that whether we have a president, a prime minister, a king, a queen, or some other chief magistrate, the Bible tells us what personal qualities we should hope to find in that person.
There are many books that talk about godly character and personal holiness. In a best-case scenario. But often that will not be the case. That’s why I worked on this particularly valuable in knowing what to look for in our political leaders.
By definition, this writeup deals with general rules, with maxims and aphorisms that generally apply to all people at all times and in all places. To be sure, it teaches that “the fear of God ”— is the beginning of wisdom”
Here are five qualities we should look for in our political leaders.
Quality #1: Wisdom
The entire act of leadership is about wisdom, so it’s no surprise that wisdom is considered a key—or perhaps, the key—quality in a good ruler. the personification of wisdom declares. The fruit of wisdom is better than gold. It brings prosperity and a rich inheritance.
And what does it mean for kings to reign according to wisdom? We could examine it to answer that question. But specifically, we are told that wisdom is the way of righteousness and the path of justice Wisdom starts with a sense that God is real, he is holy, and he is to be feared. The wise ruler knows that he is accountable to God, and therefore he is eager to keep himself far from evil. When a political leader is wise, he hates pride, arrogance, and perverted speech.
Quality #2: Understanding and knowledge.
If a ruler is to be a blessing to his land, providing order and stability, he must be “a man of understanding and knowledge”.
This is not a reference to more information, though accurate information is bound to be helpful. The knowledge Proverbs has in mind is moral knowledge.
Knowledge is about knowing what is right.
A good ruler has a moral compass. He understands right from wrong and is eager to know the proper ethical course of action.
The political leader who possesses knowledge and understanding has learned to conduct himself with honor and integrity. A good king will delight in the truth and love those who speak what is right. People flourish under an honorable ruler and suffer under a morally deformed ruler. “When the righteous increase, the people rejoice, but when the wicked rule, the people groan”
The governing authorities ought to be people of sound moral judgment.
Quality #3: Justice
A good ruler builds up the land by justice. In particular, this means two things.
First, our political leaders should not give favorable treatment to the rich and powerful. “If a king faithfully judges the poor, his throne will be established forever”. This doesn’t mean the governing authorities should rig the system in favor of the poor. The king must never sin in his judgments.
He must always employ a just balance and fair scales. But the king should be aware that those at the bottom—economically and culturally—are often treated unfairly. The king should open his mouth for the rights of those who are destitute
He should judge righteously and defend the rights of the poor and needy.
Second, when political leaders rule by justice, they punish wrongdoers. Justice is about fairly applying the law and consistently enforcing the law. A good king shines favor upon the righteous, but is “a messenger of death” to the wicked.
“A wise king winnows the wicked and drives the wheel over them”.
The just leader is the one who upholds the rule of law, ensuring that the weak are not mistreated and insisting that evildoers are punished.
Quality #4: Humility
, humility means being teachable and open to correction. “Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be still wiser; teach a righteous man, and he will increase in learning”.
The fool never accepts redirection and never admits he is wrong. “Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge, but he who hates reproof is stupid” The good ruler knows that pride leads to disgrace, while humility leads to wisdom.
“The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but a wise man listens to advice”.
In particular, the king must surround himself with good, honest counselors, not status-seekers, sycophants, and liars. “If a ruler listens to falsehood, all his officials will be wicked”. In short, we need political leaders who are humble enough to learn, to grow, to listen to others, and to change course when they have acted in the wrong way or have set out on the wrong path.
Quality #5: Self-control
If promiscuous sex and immoderate drinking are two dangers that can undermine a person’s judgment and rationality, then the third danger in Proverbs is uncontrolled anger. The prudent man knows how to ignore an insult, but the fool is easily vexed.
The wise man knows how to have a profitable argument, but the fool only rages and laughs. The unwise ruler has not learned to exercise control over his natural impulses and emotions. “A fool gives full vent to his spirit, but a wise man quietly holds it back”.
In all three examples—sex, drink, and anger—the person who lacks self-control, puts himself under the mastery of someone or something else. This is a dangerous quality in anyone, even more so in those who are given to rule over others.
Conclusion:
If these five qualities—wisdom, understanding, justice, humility, and self-control—mark out good, effective, and honorable rulers, what should we do if these rulers seem to be in terribly short supply?
Salihu Abdullahi Osuko
(Garkuwan Giza)
Media Aide To Distinguished People’s Senator Umar Tanko Almakura.
