1 Samuel 30.6 6 David
was greatly distressed because the men were talking of stoning him; each one
was bitter in spirit because of his sons and daughters. But David found
strength in the Lord his God.
The story goes like this: When David and his men reached Ziklag, they found it destroyed by fire
and their wives and sons and daughters taken captive. So, David and his men
wept aloud until they had no strength left to weep. What happened, was
while David and his men were with Achish in Gath, the Amalekites raided the
town where David, his men, and their families lived.
When their anguish turned to anger, we find the men
wanting to stone David and David being greatly distressed. (I think it
important to note that David wasn’t afraid of being stoned for what was
probably his mistake.) Earlier in his career, David told Saul: Now let my lord the king listen to his
servant’s words. If the Lord has incited you against me, then may he accept an
offering… (1 Samuel 26.19). In other words, if I have it coming, so be it. David owned his error.
People look to leaders to do the right thing. However, leaders are people too and sometimes, they do
the wrong thing. What makes a leader
a leader is what he does when he
makes a mistake. David was greatly distressed when his men were talking of
stoning him; but what set him apart is what he did as a leader: he sought strength in the Lord, took
responsibility for his actions, and then, led his men to victory. We need to
note that David sought the Lord in his battleplan (see verses: 7 and 8).
David’s mistake
was going to the Philistines in the first place, he never should’ve done that.
He chose to follow his own counsel, not God’s. When we screw up – go immediately
back to God; the sooner, the better.
Of course, leaders are disheartened when they make
mistakes, but the true leader takes responsibility and acts to correct the
mistake and move on. Yes, people may be hurt, upset, or want to jump ship. But usually
what makes the difference, is how the leader carries himself to face and
correct the mistake. That’s what will win people back or drive them away.
David’s men didn’t seek God, they simply reacted. Many people in the organization simply react when
the one (or ones) they trust in, do unwise things. Many a church has split over
a leader’s mistake. But the split comes from how the leader decides to handle
the mishap. Handle it badly, or play the blame game, and watch what happens: they may not stone you, but they will leave
you.
Here’s the good news: But
David found strength in the Lord his God. David decided it’s best to trust
God and seek His wisdom. David stood in front of his very disheartened, and
angry (David, how could you!?) men,
took responsibility, came up with a godly plan, and reversed the situation. His
acting in a godly manner won the day.
I am learning, albeit the hard way, that paying attention
to God in what I choose to do is wisdom. Looking back, I can see I used to
think wisdom was only for the wise, and that's simply not true…
Father, thank You
for the story of David and for the mistakes he made. David learned, albeit the
hard way, to learn from his mistakes and follow You. May I do the same. You
will lead me in the way everlasting – I just have to cooperate. Simple.
Amen
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