Leading the Team

HIGHLIGHT: 1 Samuel 30:22-24 - 4 But that same night the Lord said to Nathan,

5 “Go and tell my servant David, ‘This is what the Lord has declared: Are you the one to build a house for me to live in?6 I have never lived in a house, from the day I brought the Israelites out of Egypt until this very day. I have always moved from one place to another with a tent and a Tabernacle as my dwelling. 7 Yet no matter where I have gone with the Israelites, I have never once complained to Israel’s tribal leaders, the shepherds of my people Israel. I have never asked them, “Why haven’t you built me a beautiful cedar house?”’

8 “Now go and say to my servant David, ‘This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies has declared: I took you from tending sheep in the pasture and selected you to be the leader of my people Israel. 9 I have been with you wherever you have gone, and I have destroyed all your enemies before your eyes. Now I will make your name as famous as anyone who has ever lived on the earth! 10 And I will provide a homeland for my people Israel, planting them in a secure place where they will never be disturbed. Evil nations won’t oppress them as they’ve done in the past, 11 starting from the time I appointed judges to rule my people Israel. And I will give you rest from all your enemies. “‘Furthermore, the Lord declares that he will make a house for you—a dynasty of kings! 12 For when you die and are buried with your ancestors, I will raise up one of your descendants, your own offspring, and I will make his kingdom strong. 13 He is the one who will build a house—a temple—for my name. And I will secure his royal throne forever. 14 I will be his father, and he will be my son. If he sins, I will correct and discipline him with the rod, like any father would do. 15 But my favor will not be taken from him as I took it from Saul, whom I removed from your sight.16 Your house and your kingdom will continue before me[a]for all time, and your throne will be secure forever.’”

17 So Nathan went back to David and told him everything the Lord had said in this vision.

EXPLAIN: David's village had been raided and he and the men had set off on a mission together. They were working together to get all of their possessions back, including their wives and children. At one moment, when they were chasing the Amalekites down, there was a group of the men who were unable to keep going. The author says that they were too exhausted to cross the valley.

Eventually, David catches the Amalekites and is able to retrieve all of their belongings - including their wives and children. It is a great day for David's small guerrilla band who had accomplished the mission. This group of around 400 begin to make their way back to Zicklag and in the process are reunited with their 200 brothers who had fought side by side before this incident. That's where we pick up the highlighted verses.

There was a group within the 400 that had accomplished the mission who did not want to share in the spoils of the battle. They said that the 200 who had stayed behind could recoup their wives and children, but that would be the end. David, however, says that is not how life will be lived out. Instead, he declares that those that stayed behind will be the same as the one who battled.

David realizes that if he rewards only those who made it all the way, then there will be a third of the men whose morale will drop even lower than it is already. He also is smart enough to know that there will always be some that struggle to make it all the way (wounds, sickness, fatigue, etc.) David recognizes that He is the leader of each of them. Each of them have strengths and weaknesses, and they win and lose together.

APPLY: Each team that is ever assembled is a collection of strengths, weaknesses, personalities and potential. The leader of the team is to help each of them become more than they ever realized. This comes through many different facets: love, care, concern, confrontation, encouragement, accountability and more. Leadership has it's moments of challenge, but it also has it's rewards.

Whether we are leading a team at work, or our family unit, or a group at church, leaderships the opportunity to influence others in a particular direction. You can be called the leader, or you can lead from the back. Influence, ultimately, is influence. The key is to help the entire team to experience success by achieving the mission.

There is not one goal - a family's goal this month may be to pay the big bill and the next month to get the high school graduate into college. Goals change, but leaders influence forward momentum. They do that for the whole team.

There are moments on a work team when someone's strength will shine brighter than others. The leaders (and honestly, you hope the whole team) will celebrate their giftedness in particular areas with the realization that I don't have to shine every time. It is more about the team's success than my own.

RESPONSE: Lord, I ask that you would impact my life so much that I may look more like you. I also ask that the impact you have made on me would help my family whom I love, the church that I serve and the community I live in to experience the best life by seeing you in me and following you forward in life.