Strong, Courageous and Fearless. Leadership Lessons from the Life of Joshua

Strong, Courageous and Fearless.

Leadership. In some form or another we are all leaders. John Maxwell defines leadership as “influence, nothing more, nothing less.” We have all seen great leadership and hideous leadership with grave consequences. Everything hinges on leadership. This isn’t a new idea, this has been true since the beginning of time. Take a walk through the Bible, unequivocally, if the leadership was good, the people of Israel followed and obeyed God, if the leadership was bad, God’s people walked away from him and sinned greatly. Think about King Saul for example, rash decision making, pride and arrogance, ultimately became his kryptonite. There were real consequences to poor leadership, for Saul, it was the loss of the kingdom and death. King Rehoboem, not a great leader either. Rehoboem was King Solomon’s son, he failed to listen to the advice of wise trusted council and instead listened to the young and inexperienced. In turn, the kingdom divided under his leadership. A complete disaster. There are examples of biblical leadership that are far more devastating. Not only that, we have real-time 21st century examples of great and sadly, devastating leadership. 

One of the strongest leaders is found in the man of Joshua who was commissioned by God after the death of Moses (Joshua 1:1-9). At Joshua’s commissioning God speaks over Joshua some of the most profound words. Let's look at five lessons on leadership from the life of Joshua.

Joshua 1:6-9: Be strong and courageous, for you shall cause this people to inherit the land that I swore to their fathers to give them. Only be strong and very courageous, being careful to do according to all the law that Moses my servant commanded you. Do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may have good success wherever you go. 8 This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. 9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

1) “Be Strong”

As God commissions Joshua, the first thing he commands him is to “Be strong.” In part, this command to be strong has a connotation of strengthening oneself. It also means to stand firm, to withstand and prevail. In order for Joshua to carry out the Lord commands he would need to be strengthened in the Lord.

“Emotionally Strong”

Leadership is not only physically demanding it is emotionally draining as well. The highs and lows of leadership are real, great victories and successes are often followed by critics, challenges and even failures. How can we prepare ourselves to be emotionally strong?  

a. When the critics come, get godly input and run to God. The reality is, even our greatest critics can teach us something. No leader is perfect and we have blindspots. Take the criticism to a godly mentor and talk through it, then take it to God. 

Psalm 73:26: My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.

b. When challenges come, count it joy! This is not how our culture looks at challenges, however it is the way christians are to view them. James 1:2-4: Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, 3 for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. 4 And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

c. When failures come, remember failures and setbacks are a part of life and leadership. In these times we must remind ourselves of the apostle Paul’s words in Romans 8:28: And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.

“Morally Strong”

As leaders it is imperative to walk in moral strength. Moral strength unfortunately is often the weakest area in many leaders' lives. Headlines are constant in letting us know which leader had a moral failure, whether it be embezzlement, adultery, or domineering and inappropriate behavior with staff or those under their care. Joshua would need to be morally strong if he was going to lead the people of Israel into the promised land.

Ephesians 4:1: I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called.

Ephesians 5:15-18: Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, 16 making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit.

Galatians 5:16: But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.

“Physically Strong”

As a commander of an army in biblical history it is no surprise that Joshua would need to be strong physically, this would be no walk in the park. Leadership is physically and mentally strenuous, taking adequate steps in order to take care of our bodies must be a top priority. The apostle Paul speaks to the fact that our bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit and we should treat them with respect, honor and care. This means we must take responsibility to make sure we are getting adequate exercise, sleep, and nutrition.There have been reports that 4 out of 10 leaders are not getting adequate sleep. Not getting the sleep we need affects our attitudes, relationships, and our leadership effectiveness. Studies have also shown that regular exercise greatly reduces stress. One leader that I served under for a few years said to me one day, “Randall, exercise is my life blood.” Finally, adequate nutrition is key to “being strong.” I know food is a sensitive topic, and when we begin telling people what they should and shouldn’t eat, things get tense real quick. All I will say is this: meat, fruit, and vegetables and a few grains. These should be 95% of your intake. If you want to treat yourself 5% of the time, go for it. If it comes in a package and is processed, this means it’s in the 5% category.

2) “Be Courageous”

There are at least two ways in which leaders must be courageous, in the battle we face and in the convictions we hold.

“In Battle”

We all have battles to fight, whether that is relational, financial, or spiritual. The call from God is to be courageous, brave and bold in the midst of these battles. How can we be courageous in battles? Take responsibility. Don’t cower in fear but face these challenges head on. The temptation will be to shy away from confrontation, responsibility and depending on the battle curl up in a ball and give up. Many leaders know days where they can’t get out of bed, the call is to be brave even in the midst of fearful situations.

“In Convictions”

The call is also to be courageous in our convictions. More now than ever we need leaders who are bold in their convictions and willing to walk through fire in order to stay true to what they believe. I’m not suggesting preferences but in biblical convictions, that we don’t shy away from speaking the truth in love. That we are willing to be socially persecuted for the sake of sound doctrine and theology. I’m also not talking about being rigid and close minded even though you will be accused of these if you are true to your convictions. 

2 Timothy 1:7-12: God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control. Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord, nor of me his prisoner, but share in suffering for the gospel by the power of God, who saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works but because of his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began, and which now has been manifested through the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel, for which I was appointed a preacher and apostle and teacher, which is why I suffer as I do.

Inheritance Depends on Leadership

Many sermons have been preached on being strong and courageous, I have not heard much said on the second half of verse six. I believe this is one of the most profound and neglected teachings on leadership. Why was God calling Joshua to be strong and courageous in his leadership? Because the inheritance of the people depended on it. Let me say that again. The inheritance of the people depended on it. If the people were going to enter the promised land and walk in all that God had for them, it was dependent on godly leadership. It was and is dependent upon leaders who are willing to say “no” to the fear of man, say “no” to easy solutions and be strong and courageous. 

3) Intimate Knowledge of God and His Ways

Thirdly, God calls Joshua to intimately know him and his ways. Joshua 1:7: “Only be strong and very courageous, being careful to do according to all the law that Moses my servant commanded you.”

To lead God’s people we must be intimately connected to God himself. This isn’t just a head knowledge of who God is but a heart knowledge. The Psalmist knew of this reality and the recipe for success.

Psalm 119:9-16: How can a young man keep his way pure? By guarding it according to your word. With my whole heart I seek you; let me not wander from your commandments! I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you. Blessed are you, O Lord; teach me your statutes! With my lips I declare all the rules of your mouth. In the way of your testimonies I delight as much as in all riches. I will meditate on your precepts and fix my eyes on your ways. I will delight in your statutes; I will not forget your word.

4) Determination and Perseverence

Joshua 1:8: Do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may have good success wherever you go. This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.

God commands Joshua to not turn from the word of God to the right or to the left. He was to be determined to put his hope and trust in God and God alone. He was not to look to the things of the world for success or encouragement but to persevere in God and God alone. Joshua was to set his face like flint, (Isaiah 50:7) unwavering in his commitment to the Lord. This determination would flow from a strong commitment to the word of God.

Donald H. Madvig the bible commentator states; “The Hebrew word translated ‘meditate’ (hagah) literally means ‘mutter.’ When one continually mutters God’s Word to himself, he is constantly thinking about it.”

When God gave instructions for the future kings of Israel, he commanded them to study and write out by hand a copy of the law. This was to guarantee they would walk in humility and obedience to the Lord.

Deuteronomy 17:18: “And when he sits on the throne of his kingdom, he shall write for himself in a book a copy of this law, approved by the Levitical priests.

If we want to be successful leaders, the very first thing we must do is lead ourselves. We must steward our relationship with the Lord and follow him. We can have all the greatest ideas, we can be visionary and charismatic individuals, but it will be all for nothing if we cannot walk in humility and obedience with God.

Commentator David Guzik states; “Under the new covenant, God’s people are not blessed primarily because of their obedience, but because of their relationship of love and trust in Jesus Christ. Yet because God’s commands are inherently good and wise, there is a built-in blessing in conforming to this good and wise design. There is a great blessing for the believer in knowing and obeying God’s word.”

5) Do not be Afraid or Dismayed

Finally the Lord commands Joshua, “Do not be afraid or dismayed.” The command to not be afraid is repeated hundreds of times from Genesis to Revelation. Fear will keep us from walking in all that God has for us. If the enemy can make us fearful he can keep us stuck. Oftentimes we look at our situations in the flesh and things look dismal. However, when we look with our physical eyes instead of our spiritual eyes we often only see dead ends and horrifying situations. When we look with our spiritual eyes we can see God moving in ways we never thought imagined. 

The command to not be afraid or dismayed is connected by the word “For,” this word connects the command and the reason for the command. The reason why Joshua was not to be afraid was because God would be with Joshua wherever he went. We can be assured the presence of the Lord is with us wherever we go. One of the main themes of scripture is that he will never leave us or forsake us. (Deuteronomy 31:6, Hebrews 13:5)

Leadership Lessons Recap

1. Be Strong - Physical, Emotionally, and Moral

2. Be Courageous - In battle and convictions

3. Have an Intimate Knowledge of God

4. Be Determined and Persevere in God

5. Do not be Afraid or Dismayed

Stand Firm - Overcoming Spiritual Battles Through Prayer and Scripture Meditation