…Lessons from the leadership of Ahab and his wicked wife Jezebel
By Rev Clifford Chisha
A good leader does not sell his mind to others.
He who controls the mind of a leader controls his actions and rules even when he is not on the throne.
Be careful my fellow leaders, some people are after our minds.
Some people do not care who leads an organisation, church or nation. All they care for is who leads the mind of the official leader.
1 Kings 21:25
“There certainly was no one like Ahab who sold himself to do evil in the sight of the LORD, because Jezebel his wife incited him.
The Bible gives a reason as to why Ahab was sold out to doing evil….his wife Jezebel incited him.
So a person holding an influential leadership position, if not careful can be incited to do wrong things.
A Pastor can be incited, the Chief Executive Officer of a circular organisation can be incited and the coach of a football team can be incited as well.
Who was Ahab and who was Jezebel?
Ahab was king over Israel for 22 years.
He married a Phoenician princess named Jezebel.
Jezebel acted with power and negatively influenced King Ahab.
She persuaded her husband and the entire Israel to turn away from the living God. They resorted to idol worship, Baal was chosen over the living God.
Queen Jezebel ruthlessly killed many prophets of the living God and attempted to kill Prophet Elijah.
The Queen was so powerful. It’s like Ahab was officially on the throne but she unofficially sat on the throne. She controlled the affairs of Israel.
Israel was indirectly ruled by Madam Jezebel.
You need to be careful as a leader. Some people have the capacity to rule or lead through you by controlling your mind.
If God had wanted them to lead, He would have made them leaders.
Let them sincerely advise and not rule through you by manipulating you.
If you allow them to control your mind and lead through you, you will not be original and the consequences may be fatal.
Naboth was brutally murdered. His murder was arranged by Jezebel after he refused to exchange or sell his vineyard to King Ahab.
Jezebel wrote letters in Ahab’s name and sealed them with his seal, and sent them to the elders instructing them to falsely implicate him and have him killed. (1 Kings 21:8-16)
Some people can manipulate a leader to an extent where they even do evil in the name of the leader.
A leader who gives room to such people indirectly sells off his destiny.
Jezebel was so powerful that she even reached to an extent of uttering the words below when talking to the king:
“Do you now reign over Israel? Get up, eat food, and let your heart rejoice; I will give you the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite.” (1Kings 21:7)
She uttered the above words when the King got disturbed by Naboth’s response to his request.
Jezebel was ready to provide a solution and it was an evil one.
Some people who offer to give solutions to our puzzles as leaders increase our problems.
King Ahab’s mind was poisoned by the wife, Jezebel.
She incited him to do evil things.
You may not be incited by your spouse to do wrong things like Ahab was but by other people.
Usually people who cause us as leaders to do things we don’t believe in are those we feel we owe something.
Some are those we think played a key role to get us to where we are.
Others are those we think are custodians of our ugly secrets.
The people we love dearly, if they are not straight, can negatively influence our minds.
We should avoid the trap of being held captive by those who help us rise to certain positions.
If possible, avoid activities or receiving favours that may silence your voice or impair your independent decision making ability.
Bravely but diplomatically put people who may want to enslave your mind in a position that will not cause you to compromise.
If they genuinely supported us, we thank God that they were available to be used by God.
We can appreciate them but we should not enslave ourselves.
It’s unfortunate that even some Pastors are enslaved by some “generous” church leaders and some Company Directors by their powerful Secretaries.
Jezebel used her relationship to the top most leader of Israel to champion her own agenda.
Beware of people who take advantage of the relationship they have with you as a leader.
A good leader does not give room to people who incite him to do negative things.
When God gives you an opportunity to lead others, He expects you to use your mind and the grace He supplies.
Look out for people who wants to control your mind.
Some will intentionally but craftily put a virus in your mind, to cause you to begin to see things in the way they want you to but for their benefit.
They will consistently utter statements which will eventually cause you to think the way they think and believe what they believe in.
Ahab’s ending was very bad.
God used about four hundred false prophets to mislead him and cause his death. (1 Kings 22:5-23, 22:34-38)
One prophet told Ahab the truth but he treated it with contempt.
Oh, Jezebel! You caused your husband’s downfall and death. Oh, Ahab, you sold yourself out to do evil!
It was your choice. You chose to be misled and controlled by your wife.
My fellow leaders, who is sincerely causing your downfall?
Who has poisoned your mind or put a foreign software in your mind?
Is there anyone controlling your mind. Have you sold your mind to some powerful individuals?
Has your mind been colonised by individuals or institutions you fear? Redeem your mind.
Gain independence, the independence of your mind.
He who controls your mind controls your life and the lives of those entrusted to you as a leader.
