As I have been reading 1 Samuel this week, I have been learning a lot about good leadership vs. bad leadership. Saul (the first king of Israel) tends to miss the mark in his leadership a lot of times. David (originally Saul’s harp player, one of his soldiers, and eventually Israel’s most famous king) consistently makes wise leadership decisions, even when he has low positions. Here are some of specific things I’ve been seeing in David’s leadership:
- David constantly communicates with the Lord (1 Samuel 23.2, 4, 10, 12). This connection allows him to hear and recognize the Lord’s prompting to keep him from making rash and unwise decisions (i.e. killing King Saul in 1 Samuel 24.5-7).
- David had a godly friend named Jonathan who encouraged him and looked out for him and spoke truth to him (1 Samuel 20 and 23.16-18). Jonathan supported him when no one else did. This sort of confidant – someone who knows you, reminds you of truth, and helps you out when you have no other allies – is so helpful to a leader.
- David shows respect for the authority he’s under by not killing Saul (1 Samuel 24.5-7). If anyone deserved to not respect his authority and exercise some revenge, it would be David – Saul is literally trying to murder him. But David knows God anointed Saul (1 Samuel 24.10), so God is the one who needs to decide when to avenge his wrongs. David simply stays faithful.
- However, David isn’t an idiot – he doesn’t roll out his sleeping bag right next to Saul after their confrontation. David and his guys stay in their stronghold as Saul returns home (1 Samuel 24.22). Even though Saul was trying to kill David, David makes it clear to Saul, Saul’s men, and David’s own men that he is choosing to respect and not to harm Saul.
- David had a ragtag group of men in his army – they were in debt, in trouble, and discontent. David, however, did not allow their issues to make him bitter or hardened. He continued to lead in a way that probably wasn’t popular (his men wanted to kill King Saul and he stopped them in I Samuel 24.7). He could have easily played the victim or allowed their brokenness, bitterness, and discontentment to make him feel like he deserved revenge. Instead, he continued to pursue the Lord and seek his counsel. He intentionally decided to lead with his head and not with his emotions.
I believe David’s constant communication with the Lord enabled him to make mature, wise decisions, even when his life was literally in danger. He kept the long view in mind and didn’t make all his decisions in the urgency of the moment.
This is the type of mature leader I want to be.
sarah.e.knepper 