Leadership is risky business. It is a role in which those who are not leading, enjoy taking shots at the ones who are. Look what we do to our presidents for example. We go way beyond simple criticism to a maim and destroy posture. One example is George Bush. He was a hero during 911 and left the presidency as the most unpopular president, maybe ever. Now we have Obama, wildly popular during the election with his ratings now dropping each week. Frankly, we have made the presidency one of the most undesirable jobs in the country. It’s a wonder anyone wants to run for this leadership role.

What is it with us and leadership? Do we really think we could do any better? Do we actually believe that criticism will bring out the best in the other? Have we forgotten how it feels when we are criticized?

Our journey these past few weeks with Moses is a story of leadership. Here is an ordinary man called into an extraordinary role. Moses, working as a shepherd, did not see what God saw in himself. God saw that Moses had what it takes to be a leader for an overwhelming job.

He had the qualities that all good leaders possess: integrity, a moral core that provides clarity between right and wrong; courage, humility, and a faith that led him through a series of overwhelming tasks.

Now this is what God saw; not how Moses saw himself, so it took a bit of convincing. Moses was certain there was some mistake, so he reminded God that he was just a shepherd with a speech impediment. But God zeroed in on his heart. God didn’t care about his skills as an orator. God knew that his character is what would lead the people through some pretty difficult times ahead.

Think back for a moment over some leaders you have known in the past. It could be in your family, or in a community organization. It might have been a class you took or someone at work. What was it about this leader that drew you? What qualities did you admire and saw as beneficial to the group?

For me, it was in the church; with my pastor at the time, whose primary gift was not the usual sort. It was not his preaching. It was not his charisma. It wasn’t even his curious intellect. He was good at everything it seemed, but his primary gift was leadership. He had a way of bringing out the leadership in all of us. He gently led all of us into a deep and abiding faith through his desire to do what was best for the other person. His leadership was not centered around what he wanted, or what would be easier in the long run, or even what the church needed. It was his gift of seeing each of us as gifted leaders in different ways coupled with his love for us, and oh, how we loved him.

He almost single handedly brought me into ministry, by inviting, affirming, teaching and leading. But despite my good fortune of having someone who so strongly believed in me, I did not see what he saw. Like the Israelites, I would criticize and grumble, as he patiently and gently led me into my own leadership. For 17 years I was being shaped for ministry, without ever knowing it, but he did. I didn’t know then, that I was wrestling with God; and he was just the messenger.

Why is it, even when we admire a leader, our first tendency is to tear them down? That’s what happened to Moses. He hadn’t applied for this position; he was appointed. After all, it wasn’t his idea to convince the Pharaoh to let his people go. It wasn’t his idea to live through ten different plagues in order to convince the king to release the Hebrew slaves. It wasn’t his desire to be tramping across a hot desert, separated from his wife and children to some foreign land he had never seen.

But Moses went because of his faith, not in himself, but in God and this is a key learning for us. If we wait until we have all the knowledge and confidence in our self we think we need, it will never happen; for it is in the saying yes, without proof, that we are given the faith we need.

But what did the people do? They criticized what Moses said and did; a man who didn’t know much more than they did. They had cried out to be freed as slaves in Egypt and when they were freed they cried out to go back. They complained about the lack of water. They fussed about the shortage of food. They criticized whatever Moses said or did. It was hot and dirty and they began to think they were better off as slaves. But it was too late; they had come too far to turn back.

Arguments erupted and Moses sets up a consultation and resolution booth there on the desert. His days are full of mediating and listening to the constant criticism. Why did he bring them to the desert of die? Where was the water? Do they have to have quail every day? The people didn’t stop to think of how they might help the situation. They never considered that they might have some leadership abilities of their own. They simply put it all on Moses and then complained when it wasn’t what they wanted.

Think about the times you have found yourself in a leadership role, for a particular situation. Maybe it was an argument. Maybe it was a moral decision. Or perhaps it was making a decision with someone else. Whatever it was, good leadership needs more than one person. It needs the ideas of all involved; but often it is the complaining that surfaces first. Like Moses, we don’t see ourselves as leaders, but we are.

I imagine Moses got pretty discouraged with it all, but he didn’t give up. Then one day he received a message that Jethro, his father-in law, had come bringing Zipporah, his wife and his two sons. God must have known how overwhelmed Moses felt with the responsibility of it all, and sent him help. He sent his family, whom he loved and trusted, for support.

His father in-law was a priest, familiar with the role of leadership, who quickly assessed the situation. He basically said, "Moses, what are you doing? You’re killing yourself! Let’s get organized. You can’t satisfy all those who are grumbling. You can’t resolve hundreds of conflicts by yourself. They have put the burden on you but they need to step up and help out. You aren’t the only leader." So they divided the masses into groups of a thousand, hundreds, fifties and tens.

Then Jethro told Moses to look for men with integrity and character (now this was in a time long before they discovered women were equal in wisdom or better!). They needed to choose only those who would not be tempted to fold, but do what was best for both sides, and appoint them as leaders over the groups. They would do the everyday kind of judging and bring Moses only the cases they could not resolve. This would not only help Moses, but would develop leadership in others that would benefit everyone.

Most of us are not very good at taking criticism. We all have experienced those times when we offer our very best work and instead of appreciating this, someone points out where we could have done it just a bit better, ignoring altogether how much we did right! It is meant as helpful but often has the effect of tearing down instead of building up.

In my leadership development with my former pastor, we would meet before the meeting I was to lead, talking about how it could be organized, what the goal would be, and how we could access the gifts of the group members. Then after the meeting we would talk about how it went. What went well? What was difficult? What would I do differently next time? I never felt criticized but always affirmed.

Moses had a long-standing, long-suffering relationship with the outspoken, sometimes out-of-control, Israelites. How did Moses continue to function as an effective leader of these unruly tribes, when continually confronted with the worst sort of criticism?

Nevertheless, Moses took four positive steps to make this critical time work for good rather than for evil. First, he listened to the criticism. Moses understood that he could learn from his enemies. In Moses' case, the Israelites' complaints reminded him of how dependent the people were on him for their constant care and well-being. This reminded him of his own important dependence on the Lord for his strength and ability to lead.

Second, Moses learned from this critical situation that he could not do everything himself; in fact he needed these whining Israelites to help him lead. Leaders need other voices, other insights, other ears and hands to help. Jethro set the example; he didn’t complain, insisting Moses do something. He didn’t submit an anonymous letter of things Moses had done wrong. Instead he identified the problem and suggested a solution in support of both Moses and the people; and he presented it in a way that Moses could hear. Jethro was a leader.

Learning sometimes means opening ourselves up to criticism. If we seek affirmation from God, instead of those around us, we are on holy ground. Moses was faithfully doing things on his own, but God was intent on creating a community of faith. God knew that all had some sort of leadership ability that was needed.

Third, Moses got going. He didn’t allow the cutting remarks to stop him. He turned first to the Lord for advice. Moses felt the care of Yahweh, so that even in the face of criticism, he could keep his eyes on the larger goal and move ahead. He kept his eyes focused on the prize, of what was best for the people. The people stepped up and the trek across the desert proceeded. Moses held onto the promise that God would go before him preparing the way.

No matter where we go, or what situation we find ourselves in, God is present, even when we find ourselves wandering in the middle of a dry, desolate wilderness. God always goes before us. God is always at work within all of us, enabling us to shine and lead in our own ways. We don’t have to bow out of leadership opportunities; for they come in all sorts of shaped. If we believe and trust this is so, then there is truly nothing God cannot do in and through us.