Difficult People and Leadership

We've have one right. I've been reading through 1st Samuel and the Lord shared this with me the other day. I wanted to pass it on...

Interacting with Difficult People

Setting: David had left the strongholds of the wildnerness after Saul went back to fight the Philistines. David went to the strongholds of En Gedi and was staying in the recesses of a cave.

After Saul’s return to find David he was told David was in the wilderness of En Gedi. Saul went after him and stopped to do business in a cave.

Surround yourself with people that will be the God’s word to you.
“the men of David said to him, ‘This is the day of which the Lord said to you, Behold I will deliver your enemy into your hand, that you may do to him as it seems good to you.” Vs.4

We need to lead with conviction. Whether you are leading in a workplace, leading your children, wherever you are leading, you lead with conviction. David arose and went and cut off the corner of Saul’s robe. Afterward David’s heart troubled him because he had cut Saul’s robe. “and he said to his men, The Lord forbid that I should do this thing to my master, the Lord’s anointed, to stretch out my hand against him, seeing he is the anointed of the Lord.” So David restrained his servants with these words, and did not allow them to rise against Saul.
David could have immediately taken his sword and killed Saul. Yet, he only cut the corner of his robe. Saul – the man who’s purpose for even being in that area is to kill David. Everyone would have understood if he had killed Saul right. We are to follow what God says, not what the world thinks would be okay.

We need to respect authority, no matter what. Saul was still the king, he may not have been a good king, or a nice king, or a wise king, but he was still God’s appointed King for that time. (God establishes kings….find verse). David was still under his authority. Just because we don’t agree with our authority figures, we are still to submit to them. Even when we get dumped on, we are still to submit. Even though you may not respect the person, you must respect the position.

Face your enemies. Sometimes we have to go to our enemies and present our case. Lay it all on the table to get to the root of the issue.

Saul got up and left the cave (blinded to anything that had just happened). What did David do? David also arose afterward, went out of the cave, and called out to Saul. Then David bowed down before him and pleaded his case. David’s words spoke to Saul’s heart and Saul concluded by confirming to David that David would be the next King and Saul begged David to spare his descendants and not destroy his family name. David swore to Saul and Saul went home. Vs. 16-22