Tag: Solomon

David’s Leadership

We could spend weeks talking about David’s leadership, but I simply want to examine one area: his respect for God’s will.

Even though David could have taken Saul’s life, he respected God’s appointment of Saul as Israel’s king.

Even though David was paying for the consequences of his sin, he understood and respected God’s answer in loss of his son.

Even though David was prepared to build a temple that honored God, he respected God’s decision that Solomon would build it.

One of the reasons his leadership was great is because he respected God’s will.

Nothing New

Over the past 60 years of life I have seen several changes. Some of these changes have been good, but many destructive.

Paul Harvey once said, “In times like these it is good to remember that there have always been times like these.”

In the words of Solomon, “There is nothing new under the sun.”

It may be a different generation, culture, gender, age, or time of day, but the outcome is the same. There have always been times like these.

Remember to seek God’s counsel and listen to His word. Here we will find the right answers to solve the problems we face.

Collaborative Leaders

Working together to produce or create something defines collaboration.

Leadership is characterized by numerous qualities, principles, and ideas for developing others to lead. Sadly, leaders often feel they must “go it alone.”

We also find that leaders who fail or refuse to work with others, choosing to work alone, suffer both physiologically and psychologically.

When Solomon said “two are better than one…and a cord of three strands is not quickly broken,” he lays down a principle that supports collaboration.

When leaders work together and promote working together as a team, God will give an increase that lasts eternally.

Think For A Moment

Solomon wrote, “as a man thinks in his heart, so is he” (Pro. 23:7). The way we think has the power to define us and our character.

A New Testament parallel comes from Paul’s letter to the church at Philippi.

Throughout the letter, Paul speaks of standing firm with one mind, being of the same mind, having the mind of Christ, and then he tells us to think on the right things.

And they are…true, honorable, right, pure, lovely, things of good repute, excellence, and anything worthy of praise.

Imagine the attraction to the outside world when the mental focus of Christians is on these areas.

Careful Words

Too often, we speak without giving thought to our words and their impact in the lives of others.

Two lessons stand out that should be considered.

One, once we speak, we cannot take our words back. Think first.

Two, words seasoned properly bring encouragement and give grace to those who hear. Think first.

Solomon said the power of life and death is in the tongue. James identifies the tongue as an unruly evil that no one can tame. Such thoughts require us to be careful about what we say and how we say it because the results have eternal implications.

The Right Leader…

Solomon was certainly right when he said, “The writing of many books is endless, and excessive devotion to books is wearying to the body” (Ec. 12:12).

God’s word reveals information sufficient for what is right and the right leader to follow.

No greater leadership qualities are identified than those in God’s word.

No greater example can be found than the example left by Jesus.

The best way to honor and glorify God is by leading with our eyes focused on Jesus and our hearts devoted to following His word.

When followers have this example in spiritual leaders, they will follow the right leader.

Wise Leaders…

Wisdom is defined as the quality of having experience, knowledge, and good judgment. Practically speaking, wisdom is the proper application of knowledge.

One of the most notable illustrations of leadership wisdom is found in King Solomon. The request of Solomon was a discerning heart to rule God’s people. This does not mean that Solomon was without faults, but God granted his request.

Leaders should ask God for wisdom. He gives generously to those who ask in faith.

The wisdom from God possesses specific qualities described as pure, then peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, and without hypocrisy (Jas. 3:17).

The End of a Matter…

Solomon said the end is better than the beginning.

From a leadership standpoint, we learn the value of credibility and confidence.

When leaders reach the end of a matter it is an indicator of success, and success breeds credibility for those who follow.

As well, reaching the end of a matter strengthens confidence in the leader. As victory is achieved, leaders grow with confidence to accomplish more.

Our leadership is no different. As leaders achieve success, they anticipate the next challenge or goal and work with tireless effort to build upon their confidence to strengthen their credibility.

Listen, Think, Speak…

Solomon wrote that a word spoken in the right circumstances was “like apples of gold in settings of silver.”

Few principles carry more weight in leadership than this one.

The challenge is how to develop this ability. 

1) Actively listen. A key attribute for learning what to say at the right time is to listen. There are times silence speaks more to the need than words.

2) Think before speaking. The tendency is to speak as soon as the thought crosses our mind. Relationships are often destroyed when we speak too quickly.

These two suggestions provide a foundation to speak the right words in the right circumstance.

A Band of Leaders…

A friend of mine once said, “Always remember, you can’t make it on your own.” 

Solomon reminds us that “two are better than one.” Why? 

  1. Good return for their labor
  2. Help the other up when someone falls
  3. Keep each other warm
  4. When alone and overpowered, two can resist 

He concludes with this thought, “A cord of three strands is not quickly torn apart” (Eccl. 4:9-12). Alone, we are vulnerable, but there is strength in numbers. 

Leaders must encourage one another, grow to maturity, and defeat the enemy together. The strength gained lays a foundation for a greater future.