Character is essential in leadership, and you’d be hard pressed to find a leader to disagree with that statement. But leadership also comes with a set of common temptations that undermine leaders time again: pride, dishonesty, sex, and greed. Each of these temptations have left a litany of casualties, and in the end, nobody wins. So, how do we win over these common leadership temptations? It starts with four pillars of character. In my last article, I shared the first two pillars: HUMILITY and INTEGRITY. Humility helps us foster the right attitude and motive for leadership. And Integrity enables us to lead from a place of wholeness. These pillars give us the keys to overcome pride and dishonesty. Today, I want to share the third and fourth pillars of character in leadership. These pillars help us overcome the temptations of sex and greed.
3. The Pillar of Purity
Psalm 119:9 gives us the secret to cultivating a life of purity: “How can a young person stay pure? By obeying your word.” When Scripture takes a central role in our lives, it provides a standard for right and wrong. Otherwise, we’ll massage the definition of right when it feels inconvenient in the moment. When right is informed by Scripture, we can then conform our lives to it.
Purity should also be the posture of our lives. 1 Corinthians 6:18 shows us the posture we should maintain when sexual temptation comes our way: “Run from sexual sin! No other sin so clearly affects the body as this one does. For sexual immorality is a sin against your own body.”
The apostle Paul further expounds on this purity posture when he writes, “God’s will is for you to be holy, so stay away from all sexual sin. Then each of you will control his own body and live in holiness and honor—not in lustful passion like the pagans who do not know God and his ways” (1 Thessalonians 4:3-5). A life of purity is central to the will of God. It is neither optional nor suggested.
The greatest purifier is not human will, but rather the presence of God. God’s presence encapsulates His holiness, and God’s holiness reveals our sinfulness. When we draw near to God, His purifying presence penetrates our hearts and minds. Our leadership becomes increasingly honorable to God when it’s built on the pillar of purity.
4. The Pillar of Generosity
There’s a difference between a generous act and a generous lifestyle. True generosity isn’t a random act of the hand, but a regular habit of the heart. A habit is an on-going, systematic part of our lives.
The apostle Paul emphasized this important habit of generosity when he said, “On the first day of each week, you should each put aside a portion of the money you have earned. Don’t wait until I get there and then try to collect it all at once” (1 Corinthians 16:2). One random act of generosity wasn’t enough. Paul had a “day” and a “frequency”…the first day and every week.
Why would Paul build this habit in his life? Because Jesus said, “It is more blessed to give than to receive” (Acts 20:35). The way you work the stronghold of greed out of your heart is to work the habit of generosity into your heart.
Generosity is an essential part of an abundance mindset. While scarcity protects and hoards, stewardship manages resources with an open hand. Scarcity confines while generosity expands.
Proverbs 11:24-26 shows us the power of generosity to cultivate an abundance mindset (as well as the ripple effect generosity has in our lives and our world): “The world of the generous gets larger and larger; the world of the stingy gets smaller and smaller. The one who blesses others is abundantly blessed; those who help others are helped. Curses on those who drive a hard bargain! Blessings on all who play fair and square!” (MSG)
God entrusts us with resources, not so we can own it for our pleasure, but so that we can manage it for His purposes. A wise steward manages the money entrusted to him with the interests of the true owner in mind.
As you lead, you’ll undoubtedly encounter the temptations of pride, dishonesty, sex, and greed. But by proactively building your leadership on the pillars of humility, integrity, purity, and generosity, you’ll be prepared to win over the temptations and lead in a way that serves others and glorifies God.
