Proverbs 30:21-23 – People unfit for leadership

Life offers much to us to help us reach our potential when we live peacefully, unitedly and harmoniously with others within the community God has placed us. When the leaders and supporters can co-exist with great cohesion, personal and corporate growth in the community will be buoyant. However, when we have people and have misplaced roles, there will be disorientation and the peaceful flow of that community will be disrupted. When this happens, people will be restless and uncomfortable. What kind of people can unsettle a community?  Proverbs 30:21-23 provide us with four types of characters that can and will cause discord to a community. Identifying such characters enables us not to put such people in leadership, while reminding us not to emulate them.

The four types described in verses 21-23 are insufferable and unbearable. Humorously, the author defines these four kinds of people. When they are wrongly placed at the helm, they bring disrepute to the people living under their regime. Firstly, a servant who is not competent, being promoted to leadership. When such a person, lacking character, skills or the training, takes the lead in the community, the community suffers. They will be incompetent and disruptive. The second category of the unbearable are undeserving and undiscerning fools who are placed in leadership roles. Such type of people will eat their fill, then wouldn’t care about the needs of others under them. Their main concern is their personal needs. They will self-aggrandize without so much as thinking about the needs of others. Thirdly, verse 23 refers to a woman starved of love. Not accustomed to being loved, she will become difficult to live with. Her needless crave for attention can drive the man to insanity. She can become overly possessive and controlling. When a person who is like that, not accustomed to leadership, is placed in that role, he can become over controlling and his heavy-handedness can be intolerable and unsettling. Fourthly, a maid who usurps the place of her mistress and steals the affection of her mistress’ husband, will become conceited and odious. She is hard to get along and people associated with her will suffer under the weight of her tyranny. Let’s be aware that there are such types of people in our community. So, do not promote them to any leadership role.