The story of David and Goliath is one of the most repeated and popular stories in the Bible. David was the ultimate underdog from the world’s perspective – small, young, inexperienced, untrained, outmatched, etc. There was no way Goliath could be defeated, especially by David of all people. He was the least likely person, even in his own family. Everyone can relate to this story in some sense.
Several years ago I attended an FCA meeting where the speaker used the story of David vs. Goliath to make a point about leadership and it really stuck with me. Since that time God has used that story in my life to teach me about being a leader. This coming Sunday night (March 2) I will be preaching from 1 Samuel 17, and my focus will be on leadership from the perspective of David’s battle with the Philistine giant.
During my time at Luther Rice Seminary, I studied under Dr. Rusty Ricketson. Dr. Ricketson teaches in several areas of the seminary, one of which is leadership. His book, Follower First: Rethinking Leading in the Church, has been very influential in my life. Some of the principles in the book will emerge during the message Sunday night.
Effective leaders do many things well, but it is important to keep in mind that as a Christian our first priority in life will always be to follow. We are ultimately followers of Christ before we ever lead anyone or anything. As a leader there will also be times when the best thing to do is follow the leadership of someone who is following you because they have been given a responsibility in the church and they have experience and understanding that you may not have.
Follow Christ and Love People, Jay
P.S – Dr. Ricketson’s Website: http://www.followerfirst.com/
