LEADERSHIP ISN’T A SPECTATOR SPORT

DAILY WORD

7/27/23

32. Then Samuel said, “Bring King Agag to me.” Agag arrived full of hope, for he thought, “Surely the worst is over, and I have been spared!

33. But Samuel said, “As your sword has killed the sons of many mothers, now your mother will be childless.” And Samuel cut Agag to pieces before the LORD at Gilgal.

34. Then Samuel went home to Ramah, and Saul returned to his house at Gibeah of Saul.

35. Samuel never went to meet with Saul again, but he mourned constantly for him. And the LORD was sorry he had ever made Saul king of Israel.

1 Samuel 15: 32–35 NLT

Today’s Passage concludes this Episode of The Story of Samuel, wrapping up Saul’s tragic Morality Play with bittersweet finality. God has Rejected Saul the very same way the people rejected God. Saul’s narrative has come full circle, but his life is not over, nor is his part in Israel’s history. King Saul has more to add to The Story of Samuel, and none of it is pretty!

But that’s not what I wanted to focus on for Today’s Lesson. I noticed something else in Today’s Passage I thought should be highlighted. And as is this entire Book, Today’s Lesson is about Sound Leadership and the Responsibilities God Presents us as the Leaders of His people.

Over the last several Posts, we have established that Saul was ousted from his position as King because of Disobedience. God repeatedly asked for specific actions from Saul, and he repeatedly defied Him. Now, the reasons Saul offered were always the same. “The people! The people took the spoils. The people were fleeing, so I needed to perform a sacrifice. The people made me afraid, so I acquiesced!”

Excuse after excuse, Saul justified his actions by passing the buck, but God Called Saul to Lead. As such, none of those excuses would ever fly with God. Saul was placed in an exalted position with certain responsibilities that would significantly impact Israel’s future if he failed.

But notice what happens at the end of Today’s Passage. God had given Saul a Command that he and the people broke, but the job still needed completing. And if Saul wasn’t up to the challenge, God required a man who was.

Enter Samuel; after all, this is his Book. This is his Story, and Samuel is the crux upon which this Tale turns. God still needed a job done, and the man He sent failed to complete it. So what do you think a Sound Leader would do at that point?

Finish the job!

Samuel understood the assignment. And he was zealous enough to complete the mission, even though the task at hand was decidedly unpleasant. But that is the Responsibility of Leadership. Sometimes you have to get your hands dirty to do the Work of a Leader.

Not every task within Leadership is going to be pleasant. In fact, a lot of Leadership is doing things no one else is willing to tackle. When something has to get done, and you are in charge, even if you are expected to delegate, Leadership starts at the top.

Leadership isn’t a “do as I say, not as I do” kind of equation. It is a “Follow my Lead as I establish the baselines of our parameters” kind of thing. A Leader will often find themselves in the trenches right next to their “followers” knee-deep in the muck, doing the very same work you expect from them.

Why? Because no one wants to follow someone they do not respect, and few workers esteem a manager who has never done the job. A Sound Leader is one who elicits confidence in those behind them while projecting a strength and wisdom worth modeling.

That was not Saul’s position, it was Samuel’s, but the people rejected God and His Judge. Now, as God regrets establishing Saul on the Throne, the question becomes, “What’s next?” What does Israel have to look forward to now that their supposed Leader is no longer under God’s Protection?

Stay locked into DAILY WORD to find out. But before we get to that, consider this. Today’s Lesson is even if you Lead and Fail, the Responsibility doesn’t fade. Someone has to complete the mission, and if it’s not the initial Leader, God will Qualify someone else!

Don’t be Saul! Roll up your sleeves, consult your Counselor, and prepare to get your hands dirty because Good Leadership Requires Effort. So, if you find yourself in a Leadership Role, you must ask yourself, are you willing to do the work?

Have a Thought-Provoking Thursday, And Never Forget, Leadership Is Not A Spectator Sport! You Gotta Get Off The Bench, And Into The Game!

#dailyword