Are you demonstrating responsibility with your influence? (94-4)
When God allows you the privilege of leadership, whether in your family, work or church, there are certain responsibilities that accompany the call. Read 2 Samuel 13:1-39.
After David sinned with Bathsheba, the prophet Nathan warned the king that the sword would never depart from his house (2 Samuel 12:19). True to the prediction, David endured domestic problems from that day on – deception, adultery, incest, even murder. When these sins against God happened in David’s own home, David stopped taking the actions he knew were right before God, and using human wisdom, never figured out how to deal with the rebellion effectively. In fact it was as if he forgot the responsibility that went with his call to lead the people of Israel.
According to notes in the Maxwell Leadership Bible – If You Won’t Carry the Ball, You Can’t Lead the Team:
David suffers the first of several horrible consequences of his sin with Bathsheba shortly after some military conquests. David’s son Amnon, rapes his half sister, Tamar. When David hears about it, he does nothing – surprising and upsetting David’s son, Absalom. After two years, Absalom murders Amnon. The whole mess plays out almost like a soap opera.
By this point, David’s leadership has shrunk to a mere shadow of its former self. Note the changes in David’s leadership:
- He no longer works proactively, but passively interacts with those closest to him (vv. 30, 31).
- He no longer expresses joy, but is full of grief and mourning (v. 31).
- He no longer acts on his convictions, but buys into rationalizations about his loss (vv. 32, 33, 39).
- He no longer solves problems, but licks his wounds (vv. 34-36).
- He no longer pursues his desires, but remains paralyzed regarding Absalom (v. 39).
Leadership calls for deliberate action using the wisdom and influence God gives you for each situation. Failure to act denies the power of God that gave you the gift of leadership and the responsibility that goes with it. As stated in Maxwell’s title, If You Won’t Carry the Ball, You Can’t Lead the Team.
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