Wanted: Godly Leaders, Part 1

We realize that the suffering many of our people recently experienced was initiated by the record-breaking rainfall poured out by Ondoy and the strong winds hurled by Pepeng. But it could be argued that it could have been meaningfully minimized if not for the incompetence of many of our government leaders with regards to disaster preparedness and response.

This appalling condition in our government many would say is due for the most part to corruption, abuse of power and insatiable greed on the part of those who are currently in leadership positions. Make no mistake about it, these are sins that just recently caused loss of life and property.

Our country is in desperate need of leaders who are truthful, good and righteous. In other words, we are in need of godly leaders. But how can we identify them? How do we measure godliness?

First, lets try character. In my book, a godly leader possesses certain qualities. Like:

1. Wisdom - The quality which enables a person to apply knowledge according to God’s will. A wise person is, of course, knowledgeable; but it does not necessarily follow that a knowledgeable person has acquired wisdom. One must learn how to apply knowledge in a way that is pleasing not to people, whether poor or rich, but to God.

2. Discernment - The quality which enables a person to distinguish between good and evil, between right and wrong. A discerning person applies testing before coming to a conclusion.

3. Faith - The quality which enables a person to live in the certainty of God's statutes, promises and directives. Faith believes God and acts upon His word.

4. Loyalty - The quality which enables a person to remain true and devoted to God, country and fellowmen.

5. Humility - The quality which enables a person to do what is pleasing to God, instead of what is self-pleasing or acceptable to other people. It is what makes a person able to regard others more deserving than him or herself.

6. Integrity - The quality of wholeness and of consistent uprightness. It is that which enables a person to deal with others in all honesty. It is the state in which a person could say, "I've got nothing to hide.” His or her life is characterized as being transparent and beyond reproach.

7. Courage - The quality which enables a person able to confront danger or difficulty without wavering. A courageous person never chooses the path of least resistance. The highest degree of courage is seen in the uncompromising person who stands alone but refuses to submit to the pressures of humiliation, pain or rejection.

In a scale of 1 to 10, 1 being of no character at all and 10 being the perfect godly leader, how would your guts rate the following presidential aspirants:

· Joseph Estrada

· Francis Escudero

· Gilberto Teodoro

· Manuel Villar

· Benigno Aquino III

· Eddie Villanueva

· Bayani Fernando

· Richard Gordon