A Good Leader Must Have Patience And Temperance

Patience is the good-natured tolerance of delay or incompetence. A patient person bears pains and trials without complaint. Temperance, on the other hand, is the trait of avoiding excesses and living in moderation.

Three Lessons about Patience

1. Patience is the personal trait that will cause a leader to bear fruit. To be productive, a leader needs to be patient for things to grow until the day of harvest. Patience is a very important trait for productivity and prosperity.

But that on the good ground are they, which in an honest and good heart, having heard the word, keep it, and BRING FORTH FRUIT WITH PATIENCE.

Luke 8:15

2. Patience makes a leader inherit good things. “Rest in the Lord and wait patiently for him.” These are the words of the psalmist. “Fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way for evil doers shall be cut off but those that wait on the Lord, they shall inherit the earth.”

That ye be not slothful, but followers of them who THROUGH faith and PATIENCE INHERIT the promises.

Hebrews 6:12

3. Patience is the personal trait that causes a leader to be approved. You will be approved because you were able to wait for your day of promotion. The ability to wait faithfully is always rewarded with promotion.

But in all things APPROVING OURSELVES AS THE MINISTERS OF GOD, IN MUCH PATIENCE, in afflictions, in necessities, in distresses,

2 Corinthians 6:4
The Golden Eggs
One day, a farmer's hen suddenly began laying golden eggs. One morning, upon going to the nest of his chickens he found a glittering yellow and glowing egg. When he took it up it was as heavy as lead and he was going to throw it away because he thought a trick had been played upon him. But he took it home on second thoughts. He soon found to his delight that it was a pure golden egg. Every morning the same thing occurred and he soon became rich by selling his golden eggs.

As he grew rich he began to calculate how much money he would have at the end of the year when his chicken would have laid over three hundred eggs. He thought to himself, “I can't wait for this chicken to lay an egg a day. It is too slow for me. If I could get all the eggs out of its stomach in one go, I would be very rich and could invest now in buildings and other businesses.”

He thought to himself, “I would no longer need to be a farmer. I could go into business.”

Then he said to himself, “If I cut open the chicken's stomach I could take out all the three hundred eggs and become a millionaire immediately. I will no longer have to prosper in bits and pieces as I am doing now.” The next day he cut open the chicken's stomach and to his amazement there were no eggs. His impatience cost him his fortune. Impatience is the power that destroys your own fruits and rewards. The power of impatience contains the power of self destruction.

What a Leader Should Know about Temperance

1. Temperance is a personal trait that makes you receive the highest rewards. People who are moderate in all things are self-disciplined and are able to achieve great things in their lives.

And EVERY MAN THAT STRIVETH FOR THE MASTERY IS TEMPERATE in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we incorruptible.

1 Corinthians 9:25

2. Temperance makes a leader accept and enjoy privileges at the right time. A person with the positive trait of temperance will not use his privileges at the least opportunity but will wait until the most appropriate season.

BLESSED ART THOU, O LAND, WHEN thy king is the son of nobles, and THY PRINCES EAT IN DUE SEASON, for strength, and not for drunkenness!

Ecclesiastes 10:17

4. Temperance makes you react to provocation moderately and cautiously. People without temperance tend to react inappropriately but temperance produces a leader of great understanding.

HE THAT IS SLOW TO WRATH IS OF GREAT UNDERSTANDING: but he that is hasty of spirit exalteth folly.

Proverbs 14:29

5. Temperance makes a leader not misuse his great authority and power. Leadership often comes with great authority. Temperance is the positive trait that prevents a leader from becoming oppressive.

The prince that wanteth understanding is also a great oppressor…

Proverbs 28:16

7. Temperance is a personal trait that comes from the long term influence of the Holy Spirit.

But the FRUIT of the SPIRIT is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, TEMPERANCE: against such there is no law.

Galatians 5:22-23
To be patient is to be unwavering, even in opposition and difficulty. Leaders are prone to face both opposition and difficulty. A patient person will be able to lead in the midst of such trials with little or no complaint. Temperance makes a leader live in moderation, even in the midst of plenty. A good leader needs both patience and temperance!

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