5 Qualities We Should Look for in Our Political Leaders

Pastor Kevin DeYoung explores what the Bible tells us about the personal qualities we should hope to find in our political leaders.

5 Qualities We Should Look

for in Our Political Leaders

Kevin DeYoung

hat makes a good president? Or a good governor? Or a good

king or prime minister? What kind of civil magistrate is a

blessing to his people? What kind of governing authority is a curse

to his people? In short, what qualities should we look for in our

political leaders?

The word “qualities” is essential. Of course, we are right to care

about the views of our political leaders. It matters where they stand

on certain issues. Their ideas about the purposes of government

are crucial. What they think about God and morality and the

human person and about human nature (if they even believe in

such things) is foundational. Their experiences, their ability to

communicate, their practical know-how regarding the ins and outs

of government—all of these are critically important.

And yet, we can make a good case that the ruler’s character is what is

most important. Almost all of the important ideas and abilities listed

above are downstream from character—the well-formed character

that includes “hard” virtues and “soft” virtues. From a biblical

perspective, personal integrity is not a sufficient condition for good

political leadership, but it is a necessary condition. While some sins

and bad behavior can be kept hidden (at least from some people,

some of the time), there is no dividing wall that can keep a person’s

private character away from his public governance. That’s why the

Bible has much more to say about the moral qualities of those who

govern than it does about a specific form of civil government. This

doesn’t mean every form of government is as good as another. But

it does mean that whether we have a president, a prime minister,

a king, a queen, or some other chief magistrate, the Bible tells us

what personal qualities we should hope to find in that person.

There are many passages in the Bible that talk about godly character

and personal holiness. In a best-case scenario, we would have Spirit-

filled, Bible-saturated, theologically-sound, sincere Christians

to rule over us. But often that will not be the case. That’s why I

find the book of Proverbs to be particularly valuable in knowing

what to look for in our political leaders. By definition, the book of

Proverbs deals with general rules, with maxims and aphorisms that

generally apply to all people at all times and in all places. To be sure,

Proverbs teaches that “the fear of the Lord”—the covenant God of

Israel—“is the beginning of wisdom” (1:7). And yet, the instructions

in Proverbs are not confined to those living under the law of

Moses. The wisdom of Solomon was known beyond the borders

of Israel. Surely, his sayings were considered salutary for Jews and

non-Jews alike. The maxims are less concerned with observing the

stipulations of the Mosaic covenant than with giving good advice

to all who seek the way of wisdom. When it comes to verses about

kings and princes, Proverbs gives us a picture of what good rulers

everywhere should be like.

With Proverbs as our guide, then, here are five qualities we should

look for in our political leaders.

From

a

biblical

perspective, personal

integrity is not a

sufficient condition

for good political

leadership, but it is a

necessary condition.

Quality #1: Wisdom

The entire book of Proverbs is about wisdom, so it’s no surprise

that wisdom is considered a key—or perhaps, the key—quality in a

good ruler. In chapter 8, the personification of wisdom declares, “By

me kings reign, and rulers decree what is just; by me princes rule,

and nobles, all who govern justly” (8:15–16). The fruit of wisdom

is better than gold (8:19). It brings prosperity (8:18) and a rich

inheritance (8:21).

And what does it mean for kings to reign according to wisdom? We

could examine the rest of Proverbs to answer that question. But

specifically, we are told that wisdom is the way of righteousness and

the path of justice (8:20). Wisdom starts with a sense that God is

real, he is holy, and he is to be feared. The wise ruler knows that he

is accountable to God, and therefore he is eager to keep himself far

from evil. When a political leader is wise, he hates pride, arrogance,

and perverted speech (8:13).

Quality #2: Understanding

Proverbs tells us that “it is the glory of kings to search things out”

(25:2). If a ruler is to be a blessing to his land, providing order and

stability, he must be “a man of understanding and knowledge”

(28:2). This is not a reference to more information, though accurate

information is bound to be helpful. The knowledge Proverbs has

in mind is moral knowledge. “The one who keeps the law is a son

of understanding” (28:7). Knowledge, in the book of Proverbs, is

about knowing what is right. “A righteous man knows the rights

of the poor; a wicked man does not understand such knowledge”

(29:7). A good ruler has a moral compass. He understands right

from wrong and is eager to know the proper ethical course of action.

The political leader who possesses knowledge and understanding

has learned to conduct himself with honor and integrity. A good

king will delight in the truth and love those who speak what is right

(16:13). People flourish under an honorable ruler and suffer under

a morally deformed ruler. “When the righteous increase, the people

rejoice, but when the wicked rule, the people groan” (29:2). The

governing authorities ought to be people of sound moral judgment

Quality #3: Justice

A good ruler builds up the land by justice (29:4). In particular, this

means two things.

First, our political leaders should not give favorable treatment

to the rich and powerful. “If a king faithfully judges the poor, his

throne will be established forever” (29:14). This doesn’t mean the

governing authorities should rig the system in favor of the poor.

“The political leader who possesses

learned to conduct himself with hon

delight in the truth and love those wh

The king must never sin in his judgments (16:10). He must always

employ a just balance and fair scales (16:11). But the king should

be aware that those at the bottom—economically and culturally—

are often treated unfairly. The king should open his mouth for the

rights of those who are destitute (31:8). He should judge righteously

and defend the rights of the poor and needy (31:9).

Second, when political leaders rule by justice, they punish

wrongdoers. Justice is about fairly applying the law and consistently

enforcing the law. A good king shines favor upon the righteous, but

is “a messenger of death” to the wicked (16:14–15). “A wise king

winnows the wicked and drives the wheel over them” (20:26). The

wicked fear the king (24:21–22), because he is a terror to those who

do what is wrong (20:2). His favor is like the dew, but his wrath is

like the growling of a lion (19:12). The just leader in Proverbs is the

one who upholds the rule of law, ensuring that the weak are not

mistreated and insisting that evildoers are punished.

knowledge and understanding has

nor and integrity. A good king will

ho speak what is right.”

Quality #4: Humility

“The fear of the Lord is instruction in wisdom,

and humility comes before honor” (15:33). In the

book of Proverbs, humility means being teachable

and open to correction. “Give instruction to

a wise man, and he will be still wiser; teach a

righteous man, and he will increase in learning”

(9:9). The fool never accepts redirection and

never admits he is wrong. “Whoever loves

discipline loves knowledge, but he who hates

reproof is stupid” (12:1). The good ruler knows

that pride leads to disgrace, while humility leads

to wisdom (11:2). “The way of a fool is right in

his own eyes, but a wise man listens to advice”

(12:15). In particular, the king must surround

himself with good, honest counselors, not status-

seekers, sycophants, and liars. “If a ruler listens

to falsehood, all his officials will be wicked”

(29:12). In short, we need political leaders who

are humble enough to learn, to grow, to listen

to others, and to change course when they have

acted in the wrong way or have set out on the

wrong path.

Quality #5: Self-control

In the last chapter of Proverbs, before the famous section

on the Proverbs 31 Woman, there are instructions for a

Proverbs 31 King. The first eight verses relay instructions to

King Lemuel from his mother. The instructions are chiefly

about justice (31:8–9) and about self-control. The king is

told to exercise personal discipline over his sexual desires

(31:3) and over his drinking (31:4–5). The first set of desires

can destroy the king (as it did Solomon), while the second

set of desires can render him irrational, unable to exercise

the mental faculties necessary for political leadership.

If promiscuous sex and immoderate drinking are two

dangers that can undermine a person’s judgment and

rationality, then the third danger in Proverbs is uncontrolled

anger. The prudent man knows how to ignore an insult, but

the fool is easily vexed (12:16). The wise man knows how

to have a profitable argument, but the fool only rages and

laughs (29:9). The unwise ruler has not learned to exercise

control over his natural impulses and emotions. “A fool

gives full vent to his spirit, but a wise man quietly holds it

back” (29:11). In all three examples—sex, drink, and anger—

the person who lacks self-control, puts himself under the

mastery of someone or something else. This is a dangerous

quality in anyone, even more so in those who are given to

rule over others.

Conclusion

If these five qualities—wisdom, understanding, justice, humility,

and self-control—mark out good, effective, and honorable rulers,

what should we do if these rulers seem to be in terribly short supply?

For starters, we can at least acknowledge that this is what we

should be looking for in our political leaders. As Christians we

must never excuse the lack of these qualities in our presidents and

prime ministers. It is foolish to deny or downplay reality when these

virtues are lacking, let alone defend or celebrate the opposite. To

the degree that our political leaders are foolish, morally ignorant,

unjust, proud, and devoid of self-control, we should lament, not

laugh or look the other way.

We should also consider whether we have the interests and

abilities—or we know others who do—to serve as righteous “kings

and princes” (or whatever the equivalent may be). If the best people

10

stay out of politics, then we will only have the worst

people to exercise authority over us. And in so far

as we have the opportunity to vote for those who

possess the qualities that Proverbs highlights, let us

be eager to do so.

Finally, we can pray. It is a blessing when we have

noble officials to serve and to lead. Likewise, it is often

an indication of God’s judgment on a land when there

are none but fools and wicked men to rule. Therefore,

let us pray earnestly that those in positions of power

would grow in virtue, that those bereft of these virtues

would be kept far from power, and that God would, in

the days ahead, bless us with honorable rulers who

are better than we deserve.

Kevin DeYoung is the senior pastor at Christ Covenant Church

(PCA) in Matthews, North Carolina and associate professor of

systematic theology at Reformed Theological Seminary.

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