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One of the qualities that distinguish excellent leaders and make them stand out from others is in their ability to protect their sheep from all forms of intrusion or external aggression. The beginning of every fall or defeat that comes to a leader begins when that leader is not quick to discern that a serpent is encroaching with the aim of snatching away one of the flocks.
While the Leader, Adam was busy in the garden, his wife who we could also call a follower, who was supposed to be busy with things that could be profitable for the entire Eden was busy in a discussion with an intruder. This is how protective leadership came about. Now the law of Protective leadership states that every lapse or crack on the walls of the city, the organizations, the nation or the family must continually be rebuilt and amended in order to avoid intrusion of serpents that may come in any form. It is important to know and to note that for every Eden there is a serpent, for every Eden there are idle followers who will engage the serpent ultimately leading to the eventual fall and collapse of such leadership or empire.
An example of a protective leader is Nehemiah. There was a reason why he was sorrowful when he heard that the walls of Jerusalem were burnt and broken down. He knew that any city without a wall is exposed and susceptible to attack. This is the reason why the city called Jericho was so formidable. and they had confidence because there was a wall protecting them. It took the intervention of the almighty God for the Israelites to bring down Jericho. If I must ask you; what kind of wall have you built to protect your flocks? How much wall have you built to protect and guard your heart? How much defense have you built for your organization or marriage or anything else we could think of?
Proverbs 25:28 says; “whoever has no rule over His own spirit is like a city broken down without walls” did we see that? When you want to defeat or overcome a city, you simply bring down their walls and they are exposed. What walls do is that they protect, the Bible says “the name of the Lord is a strong tower, the righteous runs into it and they are safe.” So, safety can be guaranteed by a wall, and there is no better wall than the name of the Lord. The Scripture that we read is saying rule, protect, control and bring to subjection your own spirit else it will be exposed to all kinds of attack. This was what the woman failed to do in the garden of Eden. A man, a leader, a nation that has no form of defense or wall is a man, a leader, a nation that is existing at the mercy their enemy. What wall have you built for yourself? Is it the name of the Lord which is made of materials without hands or a wall that can be corrupted or destroyed? There is safety only when your spirit is conformed to the will of God. By so doing you are simply asking the Lord to build a hedge around you.
See what Satan told God concerning Job; “have you not built a hedge around him?” What is a hedge? It simply a wall or a fence, a demarcation or arrangement reducing one’s exposure to risk. This was what the devil meant when He made that statement. That is why the Bible says until God builds a house, the laborer’s labor in vain, until God watch over a city, the watchmen watch in vain. Protection is of the Lord; protection is one of the excellent qualities of God. See what He said to His Son, “sit at My right hand until I make your enemies your foot stool” showing that God is a protective leader. As long as the son sits by the right hand of the father, he is safe, if any harm will come to the son, that harm must be able to overwhelm the father before it will eventually reach the son. But you and I know that that can’t be possible with God.
I want us to see that pattern of leadership, how God started it from the beginning. God made a statement in Genesis 1:26, it says; “Then God said let us make man.” There was a vision God had, and that vision was not kept to Himself, He expressed it, He shared it with the trinity. Verse 27 made me to understand that that they bought the idea, because the subsequent verse said; “so God created man.” God said it, God did it as He has spoken. Just like our earthly manufacturers and producers, God had an intention and it was a vision to make a being called man, and this man, this product, must function like God the manufacturer, if only he does not function independent of God. Haven thought about this idea, God called a team together, comprising of the Son and the Holy Spirit.
So, in Genesis 2:7 the product called man was formed, He became a living soul, he began to live by the specifications of God until he fell; he broke down, he crashed. Just like a car leaving its factory being driven by a driver who has no speed limit. So, Because the product broke down, talking about the fall of man, God didn’t just forget or abandon the car the product or vision and the original intention He had for man. He devised another strategy to rescue man and reconcile him to Himself. Now this is the crux of protective leadership. I would like you to follow me patiently as the Holy Spirit unveils this truth to us.
As a leader, when your visions go bad, do you trash in the dust bean or you seek for ways to fix the problems? This is the protective side of God that most leaders fail to see; when you birth a vision just like God and that vison didn’t go as planned, do you trash it or you go after it? Do you forget it or you abandon it or you nurture it afresh to salvage the situation? God didn’t allow man to perpetuate in his fallen state, guess what He did? Its written in this Scripture; “God sent His word and it healed them and delivered them from their destruction.” That’s the protective leadership excellence of God. Man was sent out of the garden of Eden heading towards destruction and darkness, but God didn’t allow man to linger on that path towards destruction and death, or perpetuate his error or fallen state, He simply sent His word in the person of Jesus Christ who was a team member in the creation of man from the beginning, when the vision and the intention to create man was casted.
This was the same thing John 3:16 said because He could not watch man His product, suffer in the hands of the enemy, because His wall was broken down, He sent His Son- His word. As long as man refuses to accept or believe this word, the protection of God does not cover him, and such a person is bound for destruction. Why? His walls are fallen. If any vehicle that is broken down and has been in a deplorable condition or situation refuses to accept or respond to the call of the manufacturer will at best remain in its state of uselessness and purposelessness until it accepts the invite and touch of the creator or manufacturer. This is the vivid picture of the world that we live in today. A lot of God’s beloved, their walls are broken down; but refusing the offer for a refix. Peter having betrayed Jesus cried for mercy repented and he did great things for Christ Jesus. What about you?
In the book of John 17:12, Jesus prayed a very powerful prayer to His Father which at this point is worthy of our consideration. He said; While I was with them in the world, I kept them in Your name. Those whom You gave Me I have kept; and none of them is lost except the son of perdition, that the Scripture might be fulfilled. One of the excellent qualities of a good Shephard or leader is in the ability of the leader to faithfully give account, not for some of the flocks or followers but all of his followers. Jesus told His Father; I kept, I protected, I fed the flocks you have given to Me except the one that went over the wall. Although they are outside the wall of protection and they are at the mercy of the enemy, our responsibilities as leaders, is to bring them into the protective covering of God. How do we do that? By receiving and sending the word that God has sent to them.
I would like us to see the book of Luke 15:2 and 3, I believe there are important leadership lessons that we must learn from those verses. The Bible says; And the Pharisees and Scribes complained, saying, “this man receives sinners and eats with them” Verse 2 where I really want us to dwell. It says; So, He spoke this parable to them, saying; what man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he loses one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness and go after the one which is lost until he finds it?
Jesus in this parable was teaching us the mindset of the kingdom. Jesus was asking two groups of people who complained that He receives sinners and eats with them. God values and cherishes and welcomes those that are lost and He will do everything within His power to see it happen. Even though there is a wall, His gates are wide open. Those that are lost are the product of my investment, a lot of time and effort had gone into them, I won’t just allow them go just like, they may be lost but they are carrying a part of Me.
Jesus asked the Pharisees and Scribes. He said which of you having so many followers and flocks and disciples, (emphasis mine) “if he loses one of them” and that is the word I want us to note. The sheep’s may be hundred but they are all unique and special to the shepherd. Kingdom shepherds don’t replace, nor forget their sheep’s that is lost instead they go after them. That is the protective leadership quality of God. That is why Psalm 23:2 says; “He leads me besides the still waters.” Not turbulent waters, the water may come at you, but The Spirit of the Lord will raise a standard, also talking about walls of protection. He makes sure that your walls are continually before Him. Shepard’s are more concerned with fruitfulness and multiplication rather than abandoning. Shepherds bring the best out of their followers, not the worst. See the next word I want us to note; It says “until he finds it.” So, he will continue to look for that sheep for as long as it takes until He finds him and return Him back to the fold under His protective arm.
This reminds me of the manifesto David the young Shephard boy gave to king Saul in 1 Samuel 17:34 and 35, He said; “Your servant used to keep his father’s sheep, and when the lion or bear came and took a lamb out of the flock- and when the enemy came and took a lamb, note that the lamb is the weakest, perhaps the youngest and the most vulnerable, David said I don’t just sit and look, as long as that lam is under my stewardship, he said; I went after it and struck it, and delivered the lamb from its mouth. Did we see that? This was the same quality that was reflected in that prayer Jesus prayed by saying Father those sheep’s you have given Me I have kept, I nurtured them, and fed them and protected them from external aggression. No wonder Jesus said to Peter in Luke 22:31-32 “Simon, Simon! Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat. 32 But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail; and when you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren.” Protect them as I have protected you, pray for them as I have prayed for you, encourage them as I have encouraged you, comfort them as I have comforted you.
You were numbered with us and obtained a part in this ministry, but now you have purchased a field for yourself with the wages of iniquity. God is saying come under My protection and cover, repent now and harken to the word that has been sent to you before another takes your office. Jesus is waiting for you, come for a refix, come and be protected by His walls.
Article Source: [Centre for New Dimension Leadership]
