Towards the Conclusion of the Sermon
In the closing moments of the sermon, the conversation shifted into another part of David’s life. How he was anointed. Samuel was asked by God to pick a king for Israel to replace Saul. Through a process that the Bible did not completely disclose, David’s was chosen. Of course, to the outsiders it appeared to be a certain process, but God had spoke and led Samuel to that particular family.
Of the many fine points…
The point of interest was not so much that it was David who was chosen or that the lesson was how God looks at the heart instead of appearances. These area all very valid points and great teachings. However, the point for this particular sermon was that the brothers were passed over by God.
By most standards, they were qualified to be leaders of great cities. They had the military training, the social network, the fast track access to the king. They lacked that special sauce that God was looking for. They had settled into their path. God did not want a leader who was settled in his ways and line of thinking. God needed someone who was flexible and coachable. That was David.
Many times, we believe that whatever is ours, it is ours. No one wants to talk about the work involved in getting what is ours. That’s the investment that gives the best returns.
Investing in yourself to become the best version of you. David had invested many meditation hours honing his skills. He had learned to remain awake and teachable. David was not above doing the work. That mindset of service was why he was chosen to lead. Leadership is the highest form of service.
Why?
To affect change you have to effect change. Sometimes that’s through speaking. Sometimes that’s through doing as an example. No matter which way, to lead change, you have to understand who you’re leading.
It takes all kinds
David learned from the sheep how to deal with many personalities. Some will follow effortlessly. Others will wonder off no matter how often you call and show them the way.
Should you get flustered, they run away even faster because they lose trust in you. Some will try to follow, but get tired, and need to be carried. David knew this from the field. He had done the work of understanding through empathy.
As parents, it is understandable that you’ll sacrifice many things for your child. However, not all parents do the work to become more empathetic to their child’s needs. Not all parents will consider scaling back their spending to secure a better economic future. Many don’t practice self management so that the children learn self control. Just look at the toy boxes of many children today and you’ll understand why society loves material things more than experiences.
