Moses had a unique call to leadership. He was unsure of his ability to lead, had a serious speech problem, and avoided God’s call on multiple occasions. Keep reading the biblical account though, and you’ll find that he eventually became one of the most dynamic and effective leaders ever presented in the Biblical text.
God can use anybody for his purposes, no matter their experience or shortcomings. God simply desires a willingness and a heart that is honest and open… whatever the ‘call’.
While many see Moses as a leader, it is easy to forget that he was not the sole leader of the people. He was the first but not always the strongest. Many might say that his protégé Joshua exceeded Moses’ own leadership ability.
Joshua took the reigns from Moses, stepped into leadership at a time of great instability and turmoil, and led the children of Israel into the Promised Land (a land which Moses saw but never experienced).
Many church staff up-and-comers aspire to be a Joshua. And while Joshua often led well, this is not the type leader that most churches really need. They already have a Moses on the scene who’s work is not yet complete.
Many churches need an Aaron.
Aaron, Moses’ brother, comes onto the scene as a relatively unknown quantity. Yet, he lived the leadership experience of most leaders, perhaps one might say fulfilling a more important role than even Joshua. Few leaders are ever called to be a ‘Joshua’–to step in during a crisis after a seasoned leader is removed by God, take the reigns, and continue the pace without missing a beat.
Most leaders live their lives as an ‘Aaron’.
Aaron was selected by God to assist Moses. Like Aaron, most leaders will not be the final authority; most will lead from within the organizational chart rather than from the top. In a critical time of transition for Moses, God used Aaron to accomplish critical leadership functions for His kingdom, and Aaron’s leadership left a mark that can still be seen today (Exodus 4:10-17; Exodus 32:1-6; Exodus 19-29; Numbers 12:1-3; Leviticus 8:1-9).
John Maxwell says that, like Aaron, the “leader in the middle” needs to see themselves as divinely positioned by God and serve with their best effort to glorify God, just as if they were the senior leader.
The church needs less Joshua’s and more Aaron’s.
