A Leader God Honors – Part 3

And the conclusion of a lengthy sermon. Yeah, I don’t think this one qualifies as a “sermonette”. A little too long for that. :o)

Application to Men

So how do we apply these lessons in our lives today? How does a man living in this day and age put into practice these principles illustrated in the life of Saul and Jonathan?

Lack of Faith

Saul’s problems began with his lack of faith. That lack of faith came because he did not “keep” the commandment of God. (1 Sam. 13:13-14) Are we men “keeping” God’s word? And by that I do not mean “obey”, but something deeper. If I say “I’d like you to keep my pen” does that mean I want you to “obey” my pen? Of course not. Somewhere in our society we have started believing “keep” immediately means “obey”. Obedience is a part of keeping, but more of a result than the actual meaning of the word.

To “keep” means to watch over intently, to put a fence or military guard around and to protect. To keep it always before our spiritual eyes. Essentially, it means to meditate upon the commandment. Are we as men meditating on God’s word? Is it saturating our lives? If it is not, we will fall into the trap of not having the faith to believe God. That will in turn lead to many other problems.

Disobedience

Our excuses don’t work with God. Just as Saul’s excuses didn’t fly with the Lord, ours will not either. We cannot allow any situation, no matter how bad, to cause us to justify disobedience to God’s Word. If we do, we compromise our leadership and authority. This is very hard to regain. We cannot fool God. He knows our heart.

Inaction

Sometimes, either because we want to be comfortable or perhaps are afraid of failing, we do nothing. As fathers, as husbands, as leaders in general, we do not take action when action is required.

There is a time to be quiet, to wait upon the Lord. There is a time to lead in waiting upon the Lord. This is a vital Scriptural principle that must not be neglected, but that is not what I am speaking of now. I am speaking of a passivity born out of fear or laziness. There is a time to act, and we as leaders under the guidance of the Holy Spirit must discern when to act and not allow our fear or comfortable lives to prevent that godly action.

Do we take action when needed? Do we let things pass and think the problem will just go away? Are we letting “Philistines” attack and spoil our people?

Those are the lessons from Saul’s life, but before I speak about his son Jonathan, there is an important principle I want to point out. That is the principle that God is bigger than our mistakes.

Saul failed in many areas, and we could safely say he was a poor father. Yet his son was a mighty man of faith and courage. A true leader of men. This indicates that even if we mess up as fathers, God can raise up godly children in our homes in spite of our mistakes. That is not an excuse for bad behavior, but it does give some hope to men that have made serious errors and believe that their children are ruined forever. Yes fathers have an amazing impact on their family, but God is bigger than our mistakes and blunders. Never stop pursuing Christ, and trust him to make up for your lack.

I also want to point out to young men (and young women) that Jonathan did not use his bad father as an excuse for bad living. Yes fathers have an impact in our lives, but ultimately we are each responsible for the choices we make, either good or bad.

But what about Jonathan?

Courage

It takes courage to lead. Courage built on faith. Being a leader is not easy. It is the most difficult position in any organization because it carries with it the greatest responsibility. But Jonathan had courage. More than most men.

Sometimes courage means doing the right thing even when everyone else doesn’t like it. Sometimes even our wives and children do not understand. We as men must be willing to stand alone, with only the Lord on our side. It is important to humbly listen to the cautions of our wives and the counsel of friends and family. But if we are certain of God’s will, we must lovingly pursue that course regardless of the opposition.

It takes courage to look at a child and tell them they must sacrifice time with their friends because it is too dangerous, spiritually or physically. It takes courage to lead a family to a new home, with a new job, and new friends. It takes courage to limit the amount of time spent with certain family members because of bad influences on your children. It takes courage to look at a son or daughter and tell them the truth, even though you know they will reject it and hate you for it. But that is was courageous men do.

When others are too afraid to follow, we must walk in faith with the courage of Christ. That doesn’t mean we won’t be afraid. But in the face of our fear we step out in faith and run, enthusiastically, in the direction God has commanded us to go.

Wisdom

Should we take Jonathan’s example of wisdom to mean that we can set any arbitrary sign to determine God’s will? By no means. That will get us into all kinds of difficult and sinful circumstances.

Jonathan was wise in that he sought God’s will and was submitted to it. He was prudent and understanding in determining the best way to follow God’s leading.

You might say, “Well that’s easy to say, but it’s a lot harder to do.” I agree with you. So then “if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally…” (James 1:5) Now let me ask you…that verse I just quoted, do you really believe it is true?

Submission

Are we submitted to God’s will, as Jonathan was? Or do we demand to do things in our own way, in our own time? If God says no, are we willing to put it down and walk away? The way you answer these questions will determine your effectiveness as a leader. Humble submission to God is a powerful tool in leading others. Ultimately God wants his will done, and if we are not submitted to that then he will not bless our direction.

Faith

The greatest difference between these two leaders, father and son, is faith. One had great faith, and the other did not. This affected their leadership and their ability to obey the Lord. At the foundation of their actions was whether or not they believed God. Saul did not trust the Lord, and therefore took matters into his own hands. Jonathan did trust the Lord, and was therefore able to act in a courageous manner and God blessed him.

The lesson for us today is: Do we really trust God? Sure we can say we trust Him, but do our lives prove that we do? Faith chases away fear and gives us the courage to do the hard things. Are you taking the easy road of passivity? Do we trust God to know what he’s doing even when it doesn’t make sense? Do we really believe he will give us the wisdom to raise our children? Do we believe he is a holy God, or do we just say that because it sounds nice? Ask yourself, “How strong is my faith?”

A lack of faith makes it hard to lead. How can we impart a faith in God to our children if we don’t have it to begin with? Great leadership begins with faith, for “without faith it is impossible to please God.”

So how does faith grow? How can we strengthen our faith? Romans 10:17 – “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” When we saturate our lives in the Word of God, our faith will grow. Our faith increases as we hear with understanding the Word of God. Faith is bound up in the idea of believing what God says! His words!

In what areas must we trust God? In the area of work and, for some, employment. God is the one that brings a job interview, or the business a company needs to stay afloat. We must trust God for our physical and financial provision. We have to trust the Father for the spiritual well-being of our children. That includes those that have rebelled against all the good teaching we have given them.

There are probably thousands of things I could mention, but the bottom line is this. We must have faith in God, a faith that is willing to act. A faith that has the courage to stand on God’s word no matter what the odds or the danger. And a father, a true man, will be the leader in that faith, and proclaim to his family and anyone else that will follow, “There is no hindrance to our Lord! Let’s see what wonders he will do today! Will you come with me, as I follow Christ?”

One man was willing to lead in faith and courage. Because he stepped forward, another man stood with him. Because two stood, God brought a whole nation a mighty victory. Our heavenly Father can do the same today!