Making of a Leader
Accept God’s preparation during your humble beginnings
(1 Sam 17:34-37 NIV) But David said to Saul, “Your servant has been keeping his father’s sheep. When a lion or a bear came and carried off a sheep from the flock, {35} I went after it, struck it and rescued the sheep from its mouth. When it turned on me, I seized it by its hair, struck it and killed it. {36} Your servant has killed both the lion and the bear; this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, because he has defied the armies of the living God. {37} The LORD who delivered me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.” Saul said to David, “Go, and the LORD be with you.”
David recalled the incident when God delivered the lion into his hands. This incident enabled David to become an effective leader because he learned from it.
God sends people to encourage us in our path to leadership
(1 Sam 18:1-4 NIV) After David had finished talking with Saul, Jonathan became one in spirit with David, and he loved him as himself. {2} From that day Saul kept David with him and did not let him return to his father’s house. {3} And Jonathan made a covenant with David because he loved him as himself. {4} Jonathan took off the robe he was wearing and gave it to David, along with his tunic, and even his sword, his bow and his belt.
David had someone to encourage him in his path to leadership. That person was Jonathan. God sends people along our way to encourage us. Think for a moment who these people are and praise God for them.
How a leader sets the direction for the group
Leaders get to the root issue
When Josiah took over as kings, the kingdom was in a very bad shape. Two of his predecessors – his father and his grandfather – were both idolatrous kings. As a result, the whole nation of Israel as in distress, both politically and economically.
When Josiah took over as king, he immediately realized that the root issue to Israel’s problems was their disobedience to the law of the Lord. He got down to the root issue. He did not try to solve the problem politically or economically.
(2 Chr 34:18-21 NIV) Then Shaphan the secretary informed the king, “Hilkiah the priest has given me a book.” And Shaphan read from it in the presence of the king. {19} When the king heard the words of the Law, he tore his robes. {20} He gave these orders to Hilkiah, Ahikam son of Shaphan, Abdon son of Micah, Shaphan the secretary and Asaiah the king’s attendant: {21} “Go and inquire of the LORD for me and for the remnant in Israel and Judah about what is written in this book that has been found. Great is the Lord’s anger that is poured out on us because our fathers have not kept the word of the LORD; they have not acted in accordance with all that is written in this book.”