Being the boss has its good points but it can also be very
frustrating. I remember saying (often) that if I could do it all by myself, I
would. But I couldn’t. So I tried to surround myself with talented and trustworthy
people who could do what I couldn’t do myself. Saul, too, seemed to understand that a
good leader needs good followers. He was looking ahead and preparing for the
days that he would need a strong army.
Saul may have displayed some good leadership skills but as
time went on his actions began to reveal his character flaws. Follow his career
from I Samuel chapter 9, when Samuel anointed the new king, to his suicide in
chapter 31. You will see examples of his disobedience, his misuse of power, his
lies, and his jealousy. Finally, we read the sad news in 16: 14 that the Spirit
of the Lord had departed from Saul.
The Kingdom of God needs dynamic leaders; we should use
caution, however, in putting our faith in another human. Leadership skills can
be accompanied by destructive characteristics such as arrogance, abuse of power, and narcissism. It is good to have someone wiser, stronger, and more charismatic
to look up to in our Christian walk, but be careful about joining his army.
Read the training manual for the Lord’s army. Only follow leaders who follow
Jesus Christ.
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