leadership

2 Chronicles 14-16 – What Happened?!

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Every once in a while you come across a story of a former celebrity whose life is in shambles. Maybe they’re in trouble with the law, or they’ve filed for bankruptcy, or they’ve taken their own life. And you ask yourself, “What happened?”

That’s the type of story you find in 2 Chronicles chapters 14-16. It begins with King Asa living a blessed life. He is a faithful leader who’s committed to God and to his people. The nation is both peaceful and fortified. It was a golden age.

But, by the end of 2 Chronicles chapter 16, the country is plagued with war, the priests and the people are oppressed, and the king is plagued with a foot disease that eventually kills him. What happened?!

What happened was that king Asa stopped doing the one thing that had brought him and his country such success. He stopped depending on God. Instead, Asa started trusting himself and a foreign king.

Over the 25 years between his first battle and his last, Asa forgot the victories that came through trusting God alone. The years of success caused Asa to become complacent and arrogant. Twenty-five years of peace left him unprepared for king Baasha’s attack.

This failure to depend on God leads Asa to become angry. And rather than repenting, Asa begins to oppress the priests and the people. He eventually contracts a foot disease that takes his life. Asa stopped depending on God and it literally became the death of him.

If it happened to Asa, it could happen to you. What keeps you from depending on God? Fear? Pride? Complacency? Whatever it is, it’s killing you in every way. Life and success are found in trusting in and depending on God.

1 Chronicles 12 – How to be Influential

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Ever know someone who naturally attracted a following? The kind of person others just want to be around. Maybe they’re inviting, or commanding, or confident, or assuring. But whatever it is, they draw people like a magnet.

This was David. In 1 Chronicles chapter 12 we learn of some of the people who were drawn to David. These people were not nobodies. They were mighty warriors, renown for who they were and what they could do.

  • They were excellent marksmen with both their right and their left hand. (1 Chron. 12:2)
  • They were experts in both offense (spear) and defense (shield.) (1 Chron. 12:8)
  • They were fierce and quick. (1 Chron. 12:8)
  • They were powerful in that the weakest of them could take on 100 troops. (1 Chron. 12:14)

And more of these competent and qualified people were drawn to David daily.

Why?

A look at David’s life gives us some clues.

But most importantly, David was passionately focused on God. He wanted to serve God and submit to God’s desire. (1 Samuel 17:26,37,45-47) (1 Chron. 12:17) This quality made David both successful (1 Chron. 11:9) and magnetic. (1 Chron. 12:22, 38-40)

Most of us would like to be influential, but are we willing to passionately focus on God? If you want to be influential, start there.

1 Samuel 21-22 – The Traits of a Good Leader

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Leadership is a hot topic these days. If you type the word “leadership” into Amazon’s search bar, you will get over 60,000 results.

Most of the books on leadership enumerated principles, strategies, practices, and mindsets you can apply in order to become a more effective leader…even if you don’t consider yourself a “natural born leader.”

In 1 Samuel chapters 21 and 22, you will find contrasting portraits of two “leaders”…Saul and David. One of these “leaders” had the title, the resources, and the authority of a leader, while the other had none of these.

And yet the one without the title, resources, and authority proved to be the better leader.

Whether David was a “natural born leader,” we cannot say. But we can see obvious differences between David and Saul that warrant the attention of anyone who seeks to be a better leader.

  • Saul demanded what he needed, while David was resourceful.
  • Saul summoned followers, while David attracted them.
  • Saul threatened those close to him, while David protected those close to him.
  • Saul acted on impulse, while David sought wise and godly counsel before acting.
  • Saul was quick to pass blame, while David was quick to take responsibility.

Perhaps David’s traits were part of his natural make-up. Perhaps he learned them growing up. Or perhaps they were the natural outgrowth of seeking after God’s heart. (1 Samuel 13:14) But it’s clear that David had traits that God honored and to which people responded.

Do you want to be a better leader? Study David’s life and aspire to the traits he demonstrated, and you will find yourself becoming a stronger leader in the eye of God and others.

Deuteronomy 17 – No One is Above the Law

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“No one is above the law.” This statement is cliché and almost laughable in this day and age. High officials regularly navigate around the law, gang members seem to do whatever they choose, ministers sexually abuse women and children…the list goes on and on. Some are caught and tried, but a large majority of people will continue to violate the law, seemingly undetected.

Deuteronomy chapter 17 stresses the importance of careful and complete adherence to God’s law; whether you’re a lowly citizen or a high official.

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