16. Saul

You’ve eaten all the turkey sandwiches and polished off the last mince pie. All the mulled wine has gone, Christmas is over and you’re struggling to get into your suit for the first day back at work. Help is at hand, you’ve signed up for ‘Mega Pain Intensity’ classes at your local gym, and your personal trainer assures you that if you follow his advice it’ll soon be a case of ‘New Year, New You’. Things go well for the first few weeks, everyone is impressed with the ‘Guns’ and developing ‘six-pack’, but it’s not long before you’re ignoring his advice and it’s more a case of ‘new month, old you’!

Saul started well; a popular and competent military leader who took the nation of Israel through a number of notable victories….. then he started to ignore God’s instruction.

Bible Reading:

Saul’s story begins in 1 Samuel 9 and runs all the way through to chapter 31

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Idea 1: Being too influenced by what others think At the point that the Lord rejects Saul as King (chapter 15) we still see him being more concerned about what others think than he is about the status of his relationship with God (15:24). Saul begs Samuel to go with him to worship as a public demonstration that Samuel still supports him. All his focus is on saving face, rather than getting it right. 

• Are you honouring God or people?
• If that’s you, admit your mistakes and show that you are more interested in doing what is right than in looking good.

Idea 2: Beware the green-eyed monster If social media had been around in Saul’s time you can be sure he’d have been online, using the hashtag #welljel, every time David’s exploits were applauded. His jealousy of his one-time friend led Saul to hurl a spear at David in an attempt to kill him. 

The American author and pastor John Maxwell, who writes extensively about leadership, says, “The people’s capacity to achieve is determined by their leader’s ability to empower”. Not only did Saul fail to empower God’s chosen successor, he also personally attempted to see to it that David wouldn’t succeed him.

• Is there a rival somewhere in your life?
• Are you harbouring resentment, or worse, planning action to nullify the ‘threat’? 
• If you’re in leadership, what does your succession planning look like?

Idea 3: Allowing God to use the weaknesses First impressions of Saul were good: appearance, courage, action – all the ingredients of a good leader, all credentials that were useful to God. Crucially though He could’ve used his weaknesses too, if Saul had recognised them and left them in God’s hands.

Our skills and talents make us tools, but our weaknesses remind us that we need a Craftsman (God) in control of our lives to accomplish great things.

• What is behind the ‘first impression’ people have of you?
• Have you asked God to use your strengths and weaknesses for His purpose?

Action

Take a few minutes to read God’s Word on leading the way He wants us to (1 Pet 5:2-10). Apply these principles to the people God has placed in your charge.