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A Leader with a Flawed Character
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Character is what we are; reputation is what others think we are. Good character qualities include; honesty, integrity, dependability, a teachable attitude, and perseverance. Negative character traits include; failure to keeps one’s word, blaming instead of taking responsibility, being unreliable, and involved in activities inconsistent with one’s stated values.
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Scripture:
“…we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance character; and character, hope.”
Romans 5:4
Read:
2 Peter 1:3-11
Leadership Quotes:
It’s not how you start out that’s important, it’s how you end that counts.
Character is what we are willing to do when no one is watching us.
“One great example is more powerful than great advice.” Bob Weiland
“You are never a failure until you blame someone else.” Wally Weiser
“To obey is better than sacrifice…” Samuel (1 Samuel
Jerry was a gifted young pastor. He had a loving and gifted wife and young family. He was especially well suited for rural and small town ministry. He coached hockey, got involved in community activities and community leadership. Before long however his weaknesses began to surface. He managed money poorly. He was always financially over extended and plagued the church for salary increases. On one occasion when he deeply injured a church over things he had said he was unwilling to go back to set things right; instead he chose to blame them. He was not accountable to anyone, and no one knew how he spent his time. He finally left ministry and got involved in a number of businesses that failed. How could a talented pastor fail so often?
The Lesson:
No one ever had a greater opportunity to succeed than Saul, the first king of
The nation was ready and waiting for a leader. Saul had all the right qualities to lead. He was youthful and handsome. He was talented. He appeared humble and teachable. He had an outstanding mentor who anointed him to his position and was ready to work with and encourage him. He had peers who supported him, surrounded him, and were loyal to him. His first efforts at leading were marked with resounding success. Most importantly, God chose him to be king and promised to bless him.
Yet in just a very short time God withdrew his blessing, Samuel withdrew his support, and his leadership began to unravel. His reign was marked by poor judgment, jealousy, murdering God’s priests and seeking counsel from a witch. In the end, in a losing battle, he committed suicide. How could this happen?
His biggest mistake was his determination to do things his own way instead of following God’s direction. “You have acted foolishly,” was the old prophet’s evaluation. “You have not kept the command the Lord your God gave you; if you had, he would have established your kingdom over
Saul’s problem was his character. He was not reliable. He did not keep his word. God could not count on him to follow His orders. His talents in the end were not enough to see him through. His character was too weak to do the right thing and so his decisions and his actions turned out poorly. He chose his own way instead of God’s. He lied about following God’s directive, and then tried to cover it up. He blamed others instead of taking responsibility. He made a superficial attempt at repenting but his heart was not in it; he just wanted the blessing. He only wanted out of his predicament.
A question that came to me repeatedly as I worked on this article was why did God choose Saul in the first place when He knew that Saul’s character was unstable? Then I realized that God’s choice for a leader is always from imperfect people. Whatever Saul’s problems were he still had the opportunity and responsibility to make right decisions. Saul turned his heart away from God and that was what disqualified him and got him into trouble. He withdrew from God’s strength and guidance.
Did God want to show future Kings, and all of us how important it is to put God first and to obey him explicitly? This is an important lesson for all leaders to remember. Keeping God first in our hearts and obeying Him faithfully will always lead to God’s blessings.
Now Talk About This
Now Pray About It
Make sure that your heart is right with God and that you are wholly following Him. Ask Him to fill you with the Holy Spirit and help you lead with His strength instead of depending on your own abilities. Ask Him to help you build good character into your life.
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