How do you react when you don’t get rewarded for good work? (88-3)
Every leader has a will and emotions.
Unless their will and emotions are committed to the glory of God every day even great leaders can lose perspective from time to time. Read 1 Samuel 25.
In yesterday’s study, we saw David demonstrate great humility, trust in God, discernment of God’s will and personal restraint when he spared King Saul’s life. God received glory because of David’s actions and even Saul, who lived in a dark world of fear, hatred and anger, repented of his ungodly actions. In today’s study, the same God-appointed leader allows his emotions to bring him to the brink of disaster when he is ready to murder another Israelite and his family for offending him through unfair treatment of his men.
David and his 600 men were keeping their distance from Jerusalem and King Saul. They were living in the Desert of Moan, a part of Israel where robbers lived off the land and took what they wanted from the local land owners. The fear of the land owners was that the powerful group of “warriors” that had surrounded David would become a major problem, they would be like all the other powerful bands of men living off the land and their flocks and herds would become their primary food source.
This would mean huge economic losses and possibly conflict that would lead to death of some of those guarding the flocks and herds.
The pleasant surprise for the landowners and herdsmen was that David and his men actually became the “army” that guarded the flocks and herds from the robbers and they had virtually no losses.
Even David’s army did not take any payment for their efforts. At shearing time, a very festive time of celebration, when the landowners could see the results of David’s help, David sent a small group of his men to Nabal, one of the more wealthy landowners, to ask Nabal to “Please give your servants and your son David whatever you can find for them.” Nabal not only did not recognize the assistance of David’s team but was rude to the men and ordered them off his property.
Although, in the cave with Saul, David had earlier demonstrated personal restraint and a desire to allow God to direct his actions, he lost control when confronted by the insolence of a petty land owner. When he heard Nabal’s message, he immediately prepared to kill Nabal and his men even asking God to deal with him severely if one of Nabal’s men was left alive. Abigail, Nabal’s wife, kept her wits about her and caused David to rethink this act of vengeance. While David initially missed the mark by reacting strongly, he showed true humility and again indicated his heart to bring glory to God in his every action when confronted with Abigail’s wisdom.
Do you have a different attitude and trust level in God when you don’t get rewarded for the good work you do? Even godly leaders can have moments when they loose perspective. Effective leaders surround themselves with a team that can help them regain perspective concerning their core values, their deepest held truths and the big picture of their mission.
Unless their will and emotions are committed to the glory of God every day even great leaders can lose perspective from time to time. Read 1 Samuel 25.
In yesterday’s study, we saw David demonstrate great humility, trust in God, discernment of God’s will and personal restraint when he spared King Saul’s life. God received glory because of David’s actions and even Saul, who lived in a dark world of fear, hatred and anger, repented of his ungodly actions. In today’s study, the same God-appointed leader allows his emotions to bring him to the brink of disaster when he is ready to murder another Israelite and his family for offending him through unfair treatment of his men.
David and his 600 men were keeping their distance from Jerusalem and King Saul. They were living in the Desert of Moan, a part of Israel where robbers lived off the land and took what they wanted from the local land owners. The fear of the land owners was that the powerful group of “warriors” that had surrounded David would become a major problem, they would be like all the other powerful bands of men living off the land and their flocks and herds would become their primary food source.
This would mean huge economic losses and possibly conflict that would lead to death of some of those guarding the flocks and herds.
The pleasant surprise for the landowners and herdsmen was that David and his men actually became the “army” that guarded the flocks and herds from the robbers and they had virtually no losses.
Even David’s army did not take any payment for their efforts. At shearing time, a very festive time of celebration, when the landowners could see the results of David’s help, David sent a small group of his men to Nabal, one of the more wealthy landowners, to ask Nabal to “Please give your servants and your son David whatever you can find for them.” Nabal not only did not recognize the assistance of David’s team but was rude to the men and ordered them off his property.
Although, in the cave with Saul, David had earlier demonstrated personal restraint and a desire to allow God to direct his actions, he lost control when confronted by the insolence of a petty land owner. When he heard Nabal’s message, he immediately prepared to kill Nabal and his men even asking God to deal with him severely if one of Nabal’s men was left alive. Abigail, Nabal’s wife, kept her wits about her and caused David to rethink this act of vengeance. While David initially missed the mark by reacting strongly, he showed true humility and again indicated his heart to bring glory to God in his every action when confronted with Abigail’s wisdom.
Do you have a different attitude and trust level in God when you don’t get rewarded for the good work you do? Even godly leaders can have moments when they loose perspective. Effective leaders surround themselves with a team that can help them regain perspective concerning their core values, their deepest held truths and the big picture of their mission.
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