Today’s Reading: 2 Samuel 19-20; Psalm 55; Matthew 28
Scripture: 2 Samuel 19:6 "You love those who hate you and hate those who love you. You have made it clear today that the commanders and their men mean nothing to you. I see that you would be pleased if Absalom were alive today and all of us were dead."
Observation: David is sternly rebuked by Joab. These word have a bite to them that is harsh. And Joab was right. David's wailing lament over Absalom was a slap in the face to those who bravely stayed loyal to David in fighting Absalom. Without their sacrifice, David could not have survived. Yet he carries on with loud grieving over Absalom's death, making his loyal followers feel as if they have done something wrong. That day, David stole the joy from his victorious troops.
Application: Leadership means putting the good of the group ahead of just about everything else. A leader has to steel himself to act and react in such a way that a positive and beneficial signal is given to those who follow. It is not OK to just follow your own emotional responses -- there must be a calculated and intentional response that reflects and advances the established values of the group. A leader who routinely indulges his emotions by acting on them will do harm to those he leads and to the cause he supports.
Prayer: Lord, we want to walk by faith, not sight. And we want to act on intention, not emotion. May we think before we react and allow the fruits of self-control and love harness our responses to model Your character and ways.
This I pray in Jesus’ name, Amen.
3 comments:
I'm reminded here of Jesus's warning about not loving even your children (or other family) ahead God. This certainly flies in the face of our present culture, and is a personal challenge.
David was a father who loved his son even though his son had plotted to take his life. What a shame that Absolom chose to focus only on the failures of his father David and let that make him a bitter and hate-filled person. Though David had his faults as a parent, he also had many great qualities. Absolom could have chosen to focus on the good things about his father, such as his great faith in God, his trust in the Lord to avenge him against his enemies, his humility in being quick to admit his sin and submit to the Lord. Instead his focus was on all the negatives in his father. It robbed him of what could have been a joy-filled fellowship with his dad and eventually robbed him of his life. We can all learn a lesson from this and choose to focus on the good in people instead of focusing on their weaknesses. What good does it do to focus on the negative anyway?
Amen' (Very open and true)
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