Today’s Devotion
Topic: Do Not Leave Post, Submit To Authority!
Text: Ecclesiastics 10: 4
If a ruler’s anger rises against you, do not leave your post, calmness can lay great offenses to rest. Amen
David served a very difficult boss. This boss had by His own impatience lost favour with the Lord. His disobedience to the Lord’s commands had also forced the Spirit of God out of his life, and ushered in an evil spirit . For this reason, David was hired. That when the “madness” of the king arises, he will calm him down with his “musical skill”.
On two occasions, this king tried to pin David to the wall with his spear. David eluded him but didn’t leave his post. The king set him as commander over 1,000 men and sent them on campaigns hoping he dies at war, but the Lord rather gave him victory upon victory.
Much later, this king gave his daughter Michal out to be married to David. Only to send to his men to keep watch of David’s house at night and kill him by morning. The ploy however did not succeed, his own daughter assisted David to escape. (1 Samuel 19: 17)
This king was more terrible than David had hoped for, but David never saw His duty to this king as service to man, but to God. It was not surprising therefore, that “in everything he did he had great success, because the Lord was with Him.” (1 Samuel 18: 14).
One day, in a cave, David had a chance to kill his boss and be free from his torments but David spared his life. The king realised how unique David was by the morning when he woke up and regretted saying; “I have sinned, come back, David my son. Because you considered my life more precious today, I’ll not try and harm you again. Surely i have acted like a fool and have erred greatly” (1 Samuel 26: 21). He went further to bless David by saying, ” may you be blessed, my son David: YOU WILL DO GREAT THINGS AND SURELY TRIUMPH. Then David went his way, and Saul returned home” (1 Sam 26: 25).
Beloved, no matter how wrong and difficult a leader might be, the attitude, responses and reactions of his/ subordinate can either help improve matters or worsen them. Christians have a responsibility to offer our lives for God’s use in every situation we find ourselves.
Lately, under the guise of defending our “rights”, our generation has little respect and tolerance for the kind of leadership that requires more than we are willing to give. We disregard our parents at home, bosses at work and lecturers at school; most especially when we feel we are right and they are wrong. Secondly, we are not careful how we answer leadership anymore, we express ourselves exactly the way we feel and see nothing wrong with it.
The truth will forever remain that, serving whole heartedly under difficult leadership makes one a much better leader with time. Especially, if we allow God to lead and help us know how to handle our difficult leaders.
The grace of God will produce strength, inspiration and favour for our work. The impatience of such difficult leaders will produce tolerance, their insatiable demand for quality will produce excellence, their impossible nature will produce the tenacity that will enable us withstand the difficult storms that would crush other leaders, their strict time limits will produce an unusual ability to deliver on time. In the end, we are much better leaders than they will ever be.
THEREFORE, DON’T BE IN A HURRY TO LEAVE POST JUST BECAUSE YOUR BOSS IS A DIFFICULT ONE, SUBMIT TO HIS/ HER AUTHORITY. YOU DEFINITELY NEED THEIR BLESSING FOR YOUR OWN SUCCESS STORY. SEE HOW DAVID ENDURED SO MUCH WITHOUT RAISING AN ABUSIVE WORD. HE WAITED PATIENTLY TILL THE DAY KING SAUL BLESSED HIM AND SAID ” YOU WILL DO GREAT THINGS AND WILL SURELY TRIUMPH”, then he went his way.
Begin to pray now…. God is your strength, your inspiration and your reward. Commit your frustrations about your leader to Him. Ask for grace and wisdom to know how to handle them. YOUR SUCCESS STORY BEGINS WITH HOW YOU TREAT YOUR BOSS!
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