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There is a general misconception about leadership that has pervade our world today. Not many leaders see leadership as an avenue to serve. Many see leadership as an avenue to amass wealth, others see leadership as an avenue to amass great power; others see leadership as a means to building a name for themselves. But the truth is: Leadership is more than all these that I have mentioned. I want us to start our observation from the book of Acts 13:36 (NIV). The Bible says: “Now when David had served God’s purpose in his own generation, he fell asleep; he was buried with his ancestors and his body decayed.”
Listen to Podcast: Leadership and Service
Leadership is a call to service and nothing more. Leadership is about rendering a service, a service no one could ever have rendered other than you. Greatness in Leadership is embedded in real service and not eye-service. Many great leaders that we admire in history are simply Servant Leaders. They were men and women that gave their all, not holding back anything, into the cause they served. Many served their organization effortlessly; many served their nation effectively. Their names were edged in gold because of the service that they rendered while they were alive. For example, we talk about the key of David today as referenced in the Bible. God didn’t give David that accolade simply because David was lazing around when he was the leader of his nation. David got that title simply because he served with the whole of his being. David served the whole nation of Israel, he served under king Saul, and he even served Jonathan, the son of Saul. The entire life of David was given to service; and that is what true leadership entails.
We must understand that as leaders, we don’t rise in Leadership by doing nothing, we rise in leadership by giving out our all to the cause that we are serving. This is how we become effective in leadership. Those who rise in leadership by doing nothing end up ruining and destroying everything that others have spent their entire lives to labor for. If you haven’t found a cause that you are willing to give your life for; if it warrants it, then there is no need for you to aspire to be a leader. For David, he served Israel, whether it was convenient or not. At many times, his life was even at stake while serving. Twice, King Saul wanted to kill him with a javelin, that’s after rendering a service to him. There was a time the people that he even just rendered a service to betrayed him. Let me show us the story in 1 Samuel 23:1-5, 7-12
“Then they told David, saying, “Look, the Philistines are fighting against Keilah, and they are robbing the threshing floors.” 2 Therefore David inquired of the Lord, saying, “Shall I go and attack these Philistines?” And the Lord said to David, “Go and attack the Philistines, and save Keilah.” 3 But David’s men said to him, “Look, we are afraid here in Judah. How much more then, if we go to Keilah against the armies of the Philistines?” 4 Then David inquired of the Lord once again. And the Lord answered him and said, “Arise, go down to Keilah. For I will deliver the Philistines into your hand. 5 And David and his men went to Keilah and fought with the Philistines, struck them with a mighty blow, and took away their livestock. So, David saved the inhabitants of Keilah.”
Naturally speaking, King Saul was the one that had been saddled with the responsibility of defending the people of Keilah, not David and his men. But when Saul was not available to defend, David rose to that occasion and defended the people on the instructions of the Lord. Let us jump to verse 6-12 and see what happened afterwards. The Bible says:
“Now it happened, when Abiathar the son of Ahimelech fled to David at Keilah, that he went down with an ephod in his hand. 7 And Saul was told that David had gone to Keilah. So, Saul said, “God has delivered him into my hand, for he has shut himself in by entering a town that has gates and bars.” 8 Then Saul called all the people together for war, to go down to Keilah to besiege David and his men. 9 When David knew that Saul plotted evil against him, he said to Abiathar the priest, “Bring the ephod here.” 10 Then David said, “O Lord God of Israel, your servant has certainly heard that Saul seeks to come to Keilah to destroy the city for my sake. 11 Will the men of Keilah deliver me into his hand? Will Saul come down, as Your servant has heard? O Lord God of Israel, I pray, tell Your servant.” And the Lord said, “He will come down.” 12 Then David said, “Will the men of Keilah deliver me and my men into the hand of Saul?” And the Lord said, “They will deliver you.” 13 So David and his men, about six hundred, arose and departed from Keilah and went wherever they could go. Then it was told Saul that David had escaped from Keilah; so, he halted the expedition.”
What do I want us to glean from this story as leaders? Sometimes, the people may not appreciate the service you are given as a Leader. Many times, the organization may not even appreciate the effort and the service that you are rendering towards the growth of the organization. Today, they may hail you as a good leader and tomorrow, they may scream “crucify Him”, but this shouldn’t deter you in giving your all as a leader, because that is where your reward lies. As a leader, whether you are appreciated or not, always have it at the back of your mind that your service is unto the LORD ultimately. Whatever we are doing in leadership, we are doing it as unto the Lord. Colossians 3:23-24 says: “And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ.”
I pray that the Lord would give us the courage to give our best and our all to serving our organization, our nation, and all the people that God would be bringing our way in the cause of our leadership assignment here on earth.
This is where we are going to draw the curtains on today’s episode of Leaderview, I believe we have learnt something that will help us in our leadership assignment going forward. Please don’t forget to share this podcast with your friends on your social media and also drop your comments with me in the comment section so that I can get to know what you are thinking about what we have shared with ourselves today. Till next time on Leaderview, stay leading and don’t hold back in your service to humanity and to your organization!
[Centre for New Dimension Leadership]
