September 21, 2006

• I am with you heart and soul

  I've always been impressed by Jonathan's armor-bearer.  He was the one who said, "Do all that you have in mind.  Go ahead; I am with you heart and soul."  (1 Sam 14:7)  I love his declaration of loyalty, devotion and wholehearted commitment to Jonathan.  He had total faith.  He was all "in".  No wavering or wishywashyness about him.  I've always prayed that I could be that kind of follower.

  But what about the flipside?  What kind of leader do you need to be to have that kind of follower? 

  The previous verse answers the question.  Jonathan proclaimed, "Nothing can hinder the Lord from saving, whether by many or by few."  Jonathan has confidence in the Lord.  He has vision, he has faith, he has understanding of God's heart and will.  He was all in with God, no wavering, no wishywashyness.  That is what makes him a good leader.  That's what created such a devoted follower.  And that's the kind of leader I want to and need to be - if I want others to follow.

  Jonathan was a good leader.  He said to his armor-bearer, "Climb up after me; the Lord has given them into the hand of Israel."  Jonathan jumped into the battle first.  He took the risks first.  He was willing to take the hits first.  He did not hide behind his armor-bearer.  What a contrast he is to his father who was skulking around in the camp without a battle plan.  Jonathan had a plan, he took action, and he got results.

  Speaking of Jonathan's father, I think Saul is a good example of a bad leader.  There's a stench of fear emanating all around Saul -- which is most notable when in the previous chapter, Saul takes things into his own hands out of fear.  His fears center around the possibility of losing control of and confidence from his army and people.  But that fear mostly comes from a misalignment with God's heart.  Without God, everything is scary.  And so it makes sense why when Jonathan set off for the Philistine camp, the Bible records, "But he did not tell his father."  Jonathan probably knew his dad would discourage him from going.  The mark of a bad leader is someone who crushes others' insights, visions, and ideas because of fear of losing control (his/her position as authority/leader) and losing his/her favor among the people or because of pride of not having seen it first.  On the flipside of this, it seems to me that the mark of a good leader is someone who is excited when a follower sees something he/she hadn't seen before, jumps on it, and then says, "Go for it!  I am with you heart and soul!" 

  So from 1 Samuel 14, I learned...

  The mark of a good leader:

  -        Know God’s heart, His will, His ways.

  -        Have clear vision.

  -        Go into battle first.  Take the risks first.  Take the hits first.

  -        Be determined to empower others rather than crushing or controlling.

  -        Listen to others’ insights – you may have blindspots.

   

  I want to be the kind of leader that God is calling me to be.

  • 3:28 am
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