1 Samuel 18:9
“From that time on Saul kept a jealous eye on David.”
The Jealousy Principle: Jealous leaders shrink what they lead.
By putting their own interests first and sabotaging anyone who threatens them, jealous leaders diminish whatever they lead. Jealous leaders empty the talent pool of their organisations without even realising it.
King Saul, of Israel, made a good start but he finished very poorly. He made several bad decisions. One of his worst was choosing to envy young David, Jesse’s son.
David was impressive. He had musical gifts and a leader’s heart. He could play the harp, wield a sword and write poetry all in a day’s work. He stood out in battle and in the king’s court as a man of great value to the nation. The crowds loved him, the girls swooned over him and King Saul despised him. Sad really!
A modern psychologist would have some sort of label for Saul. He was not a well man. He could begin applauding David’s skill as a harpist and suddenly chuck a spear at him in a moment of jealous rage. The Bible says an “evil spirit” took hold of Saul. This behaviour condemned Israel to pointless civil strife for a long time.
How different history might have been if Saul had mentored David instead of trying to kill him. Imagine if David had received the support and backing of this initially competent King and if the two friends David and Jonathan (Saul’s son) had been left to enjoy friendship and cooperatively build the future nation. Instead Saul’s jealousy crippled his leadership and confounded the people.
We can nurture a jealous eye today, just like Saul. It is an infection that can take you by surprise when somebody in your organisation makes you feel insecure or threatened. Suddenly you want them gone. You watch them with envy and disdain. And if you act on that impulse you will shrink your organisation by much more than one person.
Jealous bosses (including parents and teachers) may not use a javelin in an attempt to skewer their competition, but there are other ways to stick it to an underling. Ego gets in the way and truly capable people are diminished. Whole enterprises fall.
Five questions to help cure a jealous eye:
- What does this person have (abilities, connections, possessions) that I want or fear loosing?
- What would be the Kingdom result if I elevated this person instead of crushing them?
- What am I insecure about and why?
- How can I change my self-talk?
- Is there something in my leadership history that is stirring up these unhelpful feelings and attitudes?
You can choose jealousy OR you can choose to coach, mentor, build-up and serve. You can hope that young up-start falls off the ladder OR you can position yourself to hold the ladder for her/him. If you choose the first you will shrink your charge. If you choose the second you will multiply the capacity of both yourself and your organisation. Beware the jealous eye!
Questions
- Where are you most tempted towards leadership jealousy?
- Have you ever been the target of this kind of jealousy? What did you learn? How did you escape.
- Please leave a comment.
1 Samuel 1:15
Hannah replied “I have not been drinking wine or beer; I was pouring out my soul to the Lord. Do not take your servant for a wicked woman.”
How is it possible that our deepest devotion can look so shallow and even offensive to others? How can a woman crying out to God for help be mistaken for a wino by a kindly old priest?
Here’s how: Our motives are hidden. Our actions are in plain view. And every onlooker sees only what the angle of his vision lets him see. Result: a much higher likelihood of misunderstanding than most of us are prepared for.
Hannah is not the first or last to be misunderstood in her passion for God. She stands in a long and venerable line:
- David danced for God and his wife was disgusted as she watched (2 Sam. 6:14-16).
- The tribes living on the east side of the Jordan River built an altar of devotion to God. The tribes living on the west side thought it was an idol and the two factions nearly went to war over the misunderstanding (Josh. 22:24-27).
- Jesus healed the sick in the name of God and religious leaders called him a devil (Mk. 3:22).
- The Apostles stepped out of the upper room touched by the Spirit’s fire and wind and the crowds accused them of drunkenness, like Hannah (Acts 2:12-16).
- Paul shared the gospel and his opponents tried their hardest to discredit him (1 Thess. 2:1-16).
- I can add my name and I am sure that you can add yours!
So, when it happens to you be ready.
Don’t be surprised. People can’t see your heart. They can only judge your actions which they usually do before they have all the facts. It’s not fair, but it is life. And misunderstanding can come from the least expected places. For Hannah it was her priest and for David his wife who did not respect or understand their devotion.
Decide not to retaliate. It will hurt, so be slow to react. If there is truth in the criticism, accept it and change. But if the challenge is just wrong – as it was for Hannah – you need to speak up. Sometimes everything is quickly fixed (Hannah, Tribes of Israel) but other times the animosity goes deeper and the pain gets worse (David, Jesus). Whatever happens learn, grow and keep going forward. Every criticism is an opportunity to flush selfishness out of our systems and to double our resolve to walk with God.
Dial up your passion. That’s what David did. It is what Hannah, Jesus and Paul did. You can do it too. Sometimes it will be wise to change the way you express your devotion, but you must not reduce your passion for God. Do not let other people determine your spiritual ceiling.
Spiritual devotion is not a spectator sport! Unlike football, devotion to God gives very little pleasure to those who watch but do not participate. Ironically we’re not talking here about people with no spirituality. Sane worship can inspire unbelievers (1 Cor 14:24-25). We are talking about people with faith: Hannah’s priest, David’s wife, Israel’s brothers, Jesus’ religious peers, the Apostles' congregation and Paul’s colleagues. That’s why misunderstanding hurts. It often comes from people who should be participating and celebrating with you. And that’s why we need to be ready in advance.
Questions
- When did you last experience misunderstanding? How did you react? What would you do differently? Or the same?
- What strategies have you learned for dealing with the hurt of being misunderstood?
- Please leave a comment.
1 Samuel 5:3
“When the people of Ashdod rose early the next day, there was Dagon, fallen on his face on the ground before the ark of the Lord!”
Don’t trifle with the God of Israel. He cannot be domesticated and he will not be subjugated. He does not share equal time with other gods. He does not consult for a fee. His expectation is simple, just let him be GOD.
A Touch of Irony (1 Samuel 5)
Dagon was the fish-god of the Philistines, probably the chief god of their pantheon. When the Philistines (mortal enemies of Israel) captured the Ark of God in a notorious battle (1 Sam 4) they placed it in Dagon’s temple in Ashdod. It was meant to be a prize of their triumph.
Less than 24 hours later when Dagon’s priests entered the temple, they found the fish god fallen off his pedestal, face to the ground in front of God’s Ark. They lifted their humiliated god back onto his perch. Embarrassing!
The scene was repeated the very next day only this time Dagon’s hands and head were broken off. Just his fishy torso remained; an inert mass prostrate before the majestic symbol of the living God. Philistia panicked.
Lesson #1: You can’t put God on your trophy shelf and celebrate your conquest. He is not a collectable. God, who revealed himself in Jesus, overwhelms all other gods. If you welcome him into your life, everything else must bow down. If you are in a workplace, a family or a season of your life where it seems like God has been downgraded and shoved into a corner with other competing gods, don’t despair. Wait. Something is going to break. Heads are going to roll.
A Touch of Agony (1 Samuel 4)
Prior to this Dagon episode, it was Israel who needed to learn to let God be God. They presumed they could manoeuvre God’s power to achieve their own ends. Wrong!
When the battle was not going well, some bright sparks in Israel decide to bring the Ark of God to the front lines of war. Things went from bad to worse and the Ark was captured. All Israel went into mourning. It was as if God had died. Their offense was great and their pain was deep.
Lesson #2: You can’t put God on a leash and make him do tricks for you. He is not on your side! God is on God’s side. You and I are welcome to join him on his terms. But don’t suppose that God is some sort of pit-bull you can put on a lead to help you get your way.
Reject the small god of culture. Dismiss all notions of “god on the shelf” and “god on the leash”. Let God be God. Untamed, unboxed, unpredictable!
Questions
- When are you most tempted to domesticate God? How does this express itself in your life?
- Do you have a personal story about God that illustrates a contemporary touch of “irony” or a touch of “agony”?
- Please leave a comment.
