I've been reading a lot about humility over the past few days and I now have a confession to make. Over the last 5-10 years I've always thought of myself as a humble person. There's a contradiction for you. I'm not sure if a true person of humility even has those types of thoughts. I thought that because I couldn't stand people who were conceited that surely I was humble, and in parts of my life maybe I was. The book I just finished reading called A Tale of Three Kings spoke to me just yesterday on what it means to be a true leader. The book is about David and his interactions with Saul and then later Absalom. It talks about how David never demanded respect, or screamed for submission, or even longed to lead. Gulp! That last one really put me in my place. First off, yes I know David had his flaws (thanks for pointing that out). Secondly, yes I know you're not evil for longing to lead, but what David did was he let God lead. David never tried to take the kingdom from Saul. He could have killed him twice and taken the reigns and said here God I got this, but he didn't. He could have sent out an army and stopped his son Absalom from rebelling, but he didn't. He let God keep the reigns. I have a problem with taking the reigns. I take the reigns way too often.
The first problem with taking the reigns is the word taking. I think we can all agree that stealing is wrong, right? God's pretty clear on that. So why do we steal the reigns from him and say, "I can do a better job than whatever you had planned. Just let me lead." That's what I do too often.
The second problem with taking the reigns, especially too often, is that you can take someone else's chance to lead. I'm not the only leader. Heck, I might not be a leader at all, but by making myself one I could be taking the chance for the real leader in the room, the anointed, to really lead.
David let God make him a leader. God broke David down, tore him apart, built him back up, rinsed and repeated. Why do you think that the greatest laments were in Psalms? David was humbled. And when it came David's time he was ready, but the cool thing was David didn't know he was ready. David thought he was going to be the cave dweller all his life. God put him in the place to lead not the other way around. People came to David and they just followed. If you asked them why they probably wouldn't have had a good answer. That's what leadership is. I want to be the guy that when someone is asked why do you follow that guy they go, "uh, I don't know something just tells me I should". That "something" is God. I want to be God's leader not Brandon's.
The thing that stuck out the most to me was David's humility to live and let God. On many occasions David did nothing. Hah, imagine that sermon on Sunday morning. "Beloved, God calls us to do nothing this week", and everyone screams "Hallelujah!" I think God is calling me to do less. I don't mean that I should try to do less, but stop trying in general sometimes. Rely on God to lead. God's saying, "back off kid I got this. You know I've been around a little while. Thanks though." Let God make you a leader and stop trying to make yourself one.
I hope that you will pray for me that I will be a leader in God's way and not in mine. A little lesson in humility. Love you all!
speaking of 'doing less' ...
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