Topic: Are you afraid of your subordinates?
Bible Reading: 1 Samuel 30-31; Luke 14:1-24.
Memory Verse: “For who will hearken unto you in this matter? but as his part is that goeth down to the battle, so shall his part be that tarrieth by the stuff: they shall part alike.” 1 Samuel 30:24 (KJV)
In the reading passage of today, we are told how David and 400 of his men went to war to recover their families and assets taken away by the Amalekites while the remaining 200 of his men who were tired waited behind at the brook of Besor (1 Samuel 30:10). When they got to the war, God delivered the Amalekites to their hands and so they recovered all that were taken away and even more and they returned to their base. But when they got back to their base at Ziklag, the 400 men that went with David to war told him that they should return only the belongings of the 200 men that couldn’t go to war to them and gave them nothing out of the excess war spoils that they got ( 1 Samuel 30:22). But David countered the selfish advice of his soldiers and told them that the spoils of war will be shared equally between those who went and those who could not go! He said in 1 Samuel 30:24 (KJV), “For who will hearken unto you in this matter? but as his part is that goeth down to the battle, so shall his part be that tarrieth by the stuff: they shall part alike.” And not only did they divide the spoils that way but he also made it a statute for Israel going forward!
Compare this to Saul who could not stop his armies from keeping the livestock of the Amalekites when they went to war against them, contrary to the instructions of God! Because of his fear of his subordinates, he disobeyed God! In 1 Samuel 15:24 (KJV), “And Saul said unto Samuel, I have sinned: for I have transgressed the commandment of the LORD, and thy words: because I feared the people, and obeyed their voice.” This led to his downfall as God took the kingdom from him and gave it to David! (1 Samuel 15:28).
Why was Saul afraid of his subordinates? Amongst other reasons, it’s to maintain his position as king but he lost it instead! Are you in a similar position? You are disobeying the word of God on the way you should live as a child of God because of your fear of your subordinates. You are joining them to enrich yourself, or conspire against others or falsify record for personal gains? Remember Saul, that he lost the position he was protecting because he feared his subordinates, obeyed them and disobeyed God.
You are expected to respect your subordinates and superiors but not to fear them; otherwise you will not be able to lead your subordinates aright and you will end up in a ditch! It is better to be on the side of God who has power over the body, soul and Spirit! The Lord Jesus says in Matthew 10:28 (KJV), “And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.”
Action point: Examine your various relationships at home, office and church where you are a leader and make necessary correction in your governance style.
Bro. Biodun Oyapero