When Being King isn't Enough

In I Samuel 18 Saul is confronted with a leadership challenge that most of us will have to face at some point. David had slain the giant Goliath and delivered Israel from a costly war. Samuel wrote, "When the men were returning home after David had killed the Philistine, the women came out from all the towns of Israel to meet King Saul with singing and dancing, with joyful songs and with tambourines and lutes. As they danced, they sang:

'Saul has slain his thousands, and David his tens of thousands.'"

That is a pretty understandable response of the people. Thousands of lives had been saved, the terror of Philistine conquest had been eliminated. The people are celebrating and David is the hero of the Hour. But "Saul was very angry; this refrain galled him. 'They have credited David with tens of thousands,' he thought, "but me with only thousands. What more can he get but the kingdom?' And from that time on Saul kept a jealous eye on David. " (1 Samuel 18:6-9)

Every leader battles this at one time or another
· His church has more numbers
· His business is more successful
· Her ministry is more acknowledged
· They got recognized
· They sang his praises and not mine
· He gets all the credit
· They have credited David with tens of thousands but me . . .

Saul was ensnared with jealousy. Interesting thing about jealousy, we're all susceptible to its entrapments. We become jealous when we believe that we've been short-changed. Saul is King. Israel is his to lead. No other man is more powerful in the land, yet Saul is jealous. Why? David's getting more praise.

Every leader becomes jealous when he confuses blessings for rights. Saul believed he deserved more praise rather than recognizing he was blessed to be King. But being king wasn't enough!

I just came back from our Church District Conference, an experience that sometimes left me very frustrated. I confess that early in ministry I viewed district gatherings as times when insecure pastors tried to one up themselves in the eyes of others. Earlier in ministry, pastoring a small church I would often return home struggling with questions of self-worth and often jealousy. It was easy to be jealous of those who had greater ministries, more recognition. I came home failing to see that I was blessed to know the Forgiver, to be entrusted with a place of ministry and leadership.

How about you? Is being leader over that which God has already entrusted you enough?

Leaders lead-and that is a blessing, not a right.