Saturday, July 6, 2013

David: A Servant Leader



 Behold, a son will be born to you, who shall be a man of rest; and I will give him rest from all his enemies on every side; for his name shall be Solomon, and I will give peace and quiet to Israel in his days. 10 He shall build a house for My name.......  (I Chronicles 22:9-10a NASB).

God Decides Our Destiny
            David desired to build God’s house. In v. 7 he said, I had intended to build a house to the name of the Lord my God.  Yet, God had another idea.  He instructs David that he was a man who had shed much blood, therefore, he was not the one to build His house. Instead, Solomon his son, a man of peace was given the task.  How did David respond to this unexpected twist in God’s direction for his life?  David hurried to gather foreign construction workers.  He stored up iron, bronze, and great quantities of timber for the house of the Lord.  We do not see a hint of hesitation or disappointment in David.  He seemed to be willing to set about to help in the process.  Why?  In v.5. David said, “My son Solomon is young and inexperienced, and the house that is to be built for the Lord shall be exceedingly magnificent, famous and glorious throughout all lands.”  He was doing it for the Lord.  It didn’t matter to David if he or his son actually built it, as long as God was glorified.

It’s About God’s Glory Not Our Ministry
            There may be many pastors, ministry leaders, or Christian workers out there reading this who haven’t seen the growth or blessing they anticipated.  Though faithful servants of God, many of the Lord’s promises to them have not come to fruition.  Are you one of them?  Spending part of your time blaming yourself and yes, even tempted to blame God. You may be missing the fact that God’s undertakings may often span more than one generation as this story illustrates. 
             In time a son in the Lord or a new ministry leader may replace you and take your church or ministry to a new level.  But you must remember, that their success is yours also.  You planted and watered and the new leader may reap the increase, but all are necessary parts of God’s plan.  David must have realized that in Solomon building the temple, God was actually blessing him. 
            Ultimately, why we serve in ministry (for His glory) is more important than what we do (I pastor, I preach, etc.).  Unfortunately, many in ministry dwell on their exploits in Christian service, rather than their motive, doing it for Him and His glory.  If for Him is not the centerpiece of our labors for Christ, all our “I” oriented pursuits may go down into God’s black hole of forgetfulness.  If we cannot get excited when God blesses others, it reveals we either have a limited vision of God’s overall purposes, or it is still about us and not Him.  David was a man who saw the big picture, and God called him a man after His own heart (I Samuel 13:14 NASB).  Servant leaders recognize that God’s plans are always bigger than our little corner of the world.
           




Ken Barnes, the author of “The Chicken Farm and Other Sacred Places”  YWAM Publishing


             http://gleanings757.blogspot.com



           
           


2 comments: