Great leaders dedicate themselves to the practice of certain disciplines. They do not commit to these simply to expand their influence but rather for personal strength. When they devote themselves to these practices, those they lead cannot escape the evidence.

He was not even aware of it. He simply lived by a values-based routine and went about his normal schedule with no ulterior manipulating motivation. Others saw it and learned from it. Next generation leadership took serious note of it. Those he influenced most greatly paid close attention to it. But for him, it was simply the essential discipline of a leader’s personal life.

“Now Moses used to take the tent and pitch it outside the camp, a good distance from the camp, and he called it the tent of meeting. And everyone who sought the LORD would go out to the tent of meeting, which was outside the camp. Whenever Moses entered the tent, the pillar of cloud would descend and stand at the entrance of the tent; and the LORD would speak with Moses. And when all the people saw the pillar of cloud standing at the entrance of the tent, all the people would rise up and worship, each at his tent door. Thus the LORD used to speak to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend. When Moses turned again into the camp, his assistant Joshua the son of Nun, a young man, would not depart from the tent.”—Exodus 33

“Now when Moses went into the tent of meeting to speak with Him (the Lord), he heard a voice speaking to him from above the mercy seat…”—Numbers 7:89

“And it came about when Moses was coming down from Mt. Sinai, that Moses did not know that the skin of his face shone because of speaking with Him. So when Aaron and all the sons of Israel saw Moses, behold the skin of his face shone…whenever Moses went in before the Lord to speak with Him, he would take off the veil until he came out…the sons of Israel would see the face of Moses, that the skin of Moses face shone”—Exodus 24

It was the driving passion of his heart to see and savor the unveiled glory of God. He did not seek Him so as to impress others. He sought Him continually so as to satiate his OWN desire to “know and be known” by God. The by-product of his disciplined time with the God of creation, the God of salvation, was that others would see that that glory reflected on their leader’s face.

The sweetness of that “face to face” relationship stirred Moses to write, “Let Thy work appear to Thy servants, and Thy majesty to their children. And let the favor of the Lord be UPON us!”—Psalm 90:16

Great leaders are ultimately simply people who seek above all things to “know and be known” by the Lord God. And those who follow can always see the reflection of His glory in the face of those who lead!

See you Sunday, Church!

Pastor Tom