III) TRIUMPHING OVER TEMPTATION

After being baptized Jesus experiences His wilderness temptation (ref. Matt. 4:1-11;.Mark 1:12-13; Luke 4:1-13). The same Spirit who descended upon Jesus in the form of a dove, now moves Him to go into the wilderness where Jesus goes on a forty-day fast and afterward He was tempted by the devil. There are two lessons on leadership that the account of the temptation of Jesus provides. First, there is the issue of the wilderness experience, and second, there is the issue of triumphing over temptations.

A. Walking in the Wilderness

When we look at great leaders of Scripture we find that many of them had a wilderness experience—Moses, David, Elijah, Elisha, etc. Being elevated to a position of leadership can sometimes be a lonely experience, at least initially. Our relationship with people who were once our peers will change once we are placed in a position of authority over them. It doesn’t mean that we have to change, or that we begin to treat them as though they are inferior to us. It simply means that the relationships change. They will look at us differently. The people we lead have expectation of us as a leader that they did not have when we were their peer. As a leader we are suddenly responsible for them. We are responsible for equipping them, motivating them, providing vision for them, modeling good work habits, and so on.

As a leader we often find ourselves feeling isolated and alone. The old adage that “it’s lonely at the top” has some truth to it. The wilderness experience is not necessarily a bad thing. It was in the wilderness that Moses had his burning bush experience. It was in his wilderness that God was training David to be a warrior and a military leader. It was in the wilderness that Elijah saw God give miraculous provision and he learned to hear the still small voice of God. Jesus in the wilderness identified with the human struggle with temptations.

There are lessons to be learned about trusting the Lord and standing strong. In the wilderness we cannot lean upon others, we can only lean upon God. In the wilderness we learn more about who we are and what we are made of, because there is no one there to take up our slack. And we find that if we will keep walking, keep moving in the direction toward which our moral compass points, we will come out the other side of the wilderness stronger and more prepared for leadership than we were when we went into the wilderness.

B. Triumphing over Temptation

It is often in the wilderness where we are tempted to quit, to compromise, or to engage in self-aggrandizement. Jesus was hungry and He was tempted by Satan to use divine power to turn stones into bread. Jesus was tempted to use His authority and His power to serve Himself. Unfortunately we see far too many leaders fall to this very temptation. It happens in business and it happens in ministry. We begin to rationalize and to reason that we deserve this because, after all, we are the leader. Leaders holding lofty positions have come tumbling down because they used their position for personal gain and lost sight of the greater good.

Often a leader does receive some “perks” that they did not enjoy before being elevated to a new position. Such benefits should always be received in humility and never with arrogance. But the pay raise, the new office, or the company car does nothing to make us better than those we lead. These things are provided so that we may be more effective and efficient as a leader. Using our position to gain greater privilege for self, and viewing ourselves as separate from the organization we lead, is a big mistake and it can only lead to trouble.

Jesus overcame this temptation by putting things into perspective. He said, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God” (Luke 4:4, NJKV). In other words, “There are some things more important than meeting the immediate desire of the flesh.” When tempted to use our position for personal gain we should always consider the implications beyond the moment. The impact upon those we lead, when we appear to be self-serving, can be devastating and we begin to lose respect in their eyes.

The second temptation Jesus encountered was to take a shortcut to attain the goal. Satan promised to give Jesus all the kingdoms of the world if He would bow down and worship Satan. Jesus had already been promised this by the Father. However, the path that would take Jesus to this end was to go through Calvary and an old rugged cross. Satan was telling Jesus that there was an easier way.

Leaders are often faced with the temptation to take the easy way. To take shortcuts and to make compromises. We can cut a little quality here, save a little there, cut back some benefits here, increase the workload there and “presto chango” we’ve reached our goal. But at what expense? Nothing is worth selling our soul for. No profit margin, no advancement in ministry, nothing is worth our soul. What have we profited if we gain the whole world and yet lose our soul? (Mk. 8:36)

Jesus responded, “It is written, ‘You shall worship the LORD your God, and Him only you shall serve” (Luke 4:8, NKJV). I do not believe that it is possible to be a great leader apart from God. We always need to be aware that we will answer to a higher power. We need to remember that we are not God, we do not deserve worship and all the glory should go to Him. There is no one who should ever have more influence over our lives than God and His Word.

The third temptation Jesus encountered was to throw Himself off the pinnacle of the temple and see if God the Father would dispatch angels to catch Him. There is a difference between a leap of faith and a fool’s rush. Wisdom, is knowing the difference.

Jesus told Satan, “You shall not temp the LORD your God.” Leaders are sometimes tempted to make decisions that have not been carefully considered or analyzed and then expect someone to catch them if they fall. In many Christian circles this has been equated with faith. But faith is not about devising plans independently of God’s will and expecting Him to bail us out if it looks like it is going down. Faith is, first and foremost, about hearing God, getting His direction and then (and only then) moving forward with the trust that if He calls us to it, He will see us through it.

Jesus overcame these temptations, and many others, to live the life He had come to live, and to become the leader He had come to be. If we cannot endure through the wilderness walk, and if we cannot triumph over the myriad of temptations we will face as leaders, we will never be a great leader. Instead, we will more likely be a fallen leader.