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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