THE FIVE LEADERSHIP STONES FOR SUCCESS. By Pastor Henry Waweru in LEADERSHIP WELL (Files) · Edit Doc. The story of Davidand Goliath is a great story on leadership. The Philistines never fought nor didthe Israelites fight, it was their chosen leaders who engaged into war.Goliath demanded to be given a man (1st Sam 17:18). God always seekfor a man (Ezekiel 22:30). That man is the leader. IfGod gets the man, the battle is won. The enemy also seeks to fight theshepherd so that the sheep will scatter (Zechariah 13:7)David chose fivesmooth stones from the brook (1st Sam 17:40). These stones were madesmooth by the raging waters of the brook and they were now usable in the handsof David. In leadership we become smooth and the rough edges and the roughplaces of our lives are removed through the storms that hit us. It’s the afflictions we go through that smoothens us andmakes us usable in God’s hands. The stone was worked on and smotheredby the moving waters until it became so sharp that it could not miss its target. God sharpens us and makes us effective through theadversities of life. David chose the stones and God only chooses anduses those who have accepted to go through the furnace of afflictions. The five stones maybe symbolic of the five fold ministry of the church that is needed to bringdown the giants of this world. The five stones also represent the five enemiesthat David will have to destroy in his lifetime. In David’s life five notable enemieshad to be destroyed so that David could reach his destiny, they were Goliaththe intimidator, Saul the persecutor, Nabal the ungrateful rich fool, Bathshebathe tempter and Absalom the rebellious son. The stones may also be symbolic ofthe five notable people who will influence and determine the destiny of David.They were Samuel the anointer, Jonathan the supporter, Abigail the helper, TheMighty Men of David who helped him possess the kingdom and Solomon thesuccessor.Goliath had four more giant brothers and may be David chose the fivestones in case the rest of the brothers come to help he will be equipped to killthem.The five stones also represent the five principles, characteristics andissues that David would need so as to reach his destiny. The five importantcharacteristics are what I want us to understand. In leadership, you will needthese five principles so as to be successful and effective. SPIRITUALFATHERHOOD Samuelwas the spiritual father of David. It was Samuel who annoited David to be thesecond king of Israel. Anytime David needed counsel and direction, he soughtfor the wisdom of Samuel. In leadership, you need you need someone to be aboveyou. You need a man to cover you and counsel you. A spiritual father is aboveus in experience and wisdom and we need an impartation from him. You need anElijah to give you a double portion of his annoiting. You need a Paul to imparta spiritual gift in you. You need a spiritual father who can prophesy and speakunto your life. You need a mentor who can give you amantle for ministry. You need a coach who can train you and teach you tobe skillful an effective. When Samul died, David was left with no one toconsult incase of trouble and he almost wiped out a whole family out of angerand revenge. Many people mess in ministry and make many avoidable mistakesbecause they have no one to mentor them. Seek for this stone called spiritualfatherhood so that you can succeed in your leadership. Submit under a spiritualmentor and you will enjoy success. Don’t be a lone ranger, seek for a rolemodel who can mould and shape your life. SPIRITUALITY Inthis story of David vs Goliath we see Goliath cursing David by his gods. ( 1stSam 17:43) Goliath was` also a spiritual enemy who knew how to curse. Goliathknew that if he would curse David in the spirit realm he would defeat him inthe earthly realm. David also changed his level of operation from the humanlevel to the spiritual level. David did not keep silent as the enemy tried tooppress them spiritually. David used the name of Jehovah God who is JehovahNissi the banner of victory. A leader should not becanal but spiritual. A leader should have discernment and not ignorantof the devices of the enemy. We see so many spiritual characteristics in thelife of David. We see him obeying his earthly father Jessee as he went to take food to his brothers in the battlefield (1st Sam 17:17). Leaders should be obedient. The leader shouldhave an obedient heart towards God. David greatness began by that one step ofobedience in small matters.We become successful onestep at a time through obedience.We see David’s humility as he speak toSaul and he calls himself a servant (1st Sam 17:36). Even afterkilling Goliath we see David humble even in victory and he calls himself aservant (1st Sam 17:58). We see David as a leader of spiritualdiscernment who refuses to wear the armor of Saul. David knew that Saul hadlost the anointing and that’s why he was scared to face the giant and wearinghis clothes meant that he would be infected with the same fear.If we wear the clothes of Saul,we become infected with theirfailures and affected by their weakness. Watchout the kind of leaders you imitate because you end up becoming like them.Davidwanted to be original, to be himself. He rejected hypocrisy of trying to beanother person. He knew that the spiritual armor of God was enough to bringdown the giant. We see David as a person of spiritual faith. We see hisboldness, courage and confidence to face the giant. We see his positiveconfession (1st Sam 17:46). We see David having a spiritual visionof victory. David describes what he would do to the giant and it exactly turns thatway. We see David as confidential leader. He does not reveal all his secrets tohis enemy. David hides the killer stonesand Goliath only sees the shepherd staff (1st Sam 17:43). A leadershould be a person of faith, courage, boldness, confidential and discernment.David had clean motives. His heart was clean and clear, David declared that thevictory will be the doing of the Lord (1st Sam 17:47). David wantedto glorify God and not himself. In leadership, we should have the right motives. The only motive for ministry is to honor God. The onlymotivation should be love for God and men. SERVANT HOOD In this story we seeDavid as a faithful responsible servant. David took care of his father’s sheep.Even after being anointed by Samuel, he still goes back to the forest to takecare of his father’s flock. In the forest he makes sure that not even a lamb iskilled by the wild animals, David was` faithful even in humble matters. A leader is a steward, and it is required of the steward tobe faithful and accountable even in small details. When David was sentby his father to take food to his brothers in the battle, we see him delegatinghis responsibilities to another shepherd(1st Sam17:20),wesee David entrusting his baggage in the care of the baggage keeper (1st Sam 17:22). David was aresponsible leader. A leader should never be careless. A leader should be responsibleand accountable. When duties increase, the leadershould delegate those duties to faithful men. A servant must be faithfulin small matters so that he can be entrusted in big matters. Before Godentrusted David with the kingdom, David proved faithful in taking care of hisfather’s sheep, he proved faithful in training 400 men who were in debts, discouragedand dissatisfied, he proved faithful in being a bodyguard to Saul the king andhe also proved faithful in playing the guitar so as to break the oppression inSaul’s life. David served his father andalso served the king before he served God as the greatest king in Israel. Aleader is expected to have a servant attitude. Servant hoodis the path to greatness. Servant hood is the way to promotion. SUFFERING IN TRAINING God only trusts the men he has tried and tested. Justas David chose the smooth stones in the brook, David’s life will be batteredand beaten by storms until he becomes smooth and usable in God’s hands. BeforeDavid wears the crown of glory, he has to go through pains of the cross. Before he goes to the throne, he has to go through thorns ofpain. Saul persecuted David in every turn. Eliab his elder brotherdiscouraged him.You cannot reach your destiny withoutgoing through the desert of discouragement. (1st Sam17:28).Before David killed Goliath, he first of all killed the lion and the bear inthe forest. God was preparing his warrior king in the wilderness. God wasdeveloping the CV of David in the darkness of the forest. God has to prepare a leader in the backside of the forestbefore he brings him to the limelight. God shapes us in the unseen andthen manifests us publicly. Before God gives a leader power, he takes himthrough pain. Before re God gives you strength, He takes you through strugglesand sufferings. You need the stone of suffering so that you can becomecompassionate to those who are in need. It’s dangerousto have power without compassion. David suffered in the wilderness formore than fourteen years. Being anointed doesn’t mean that you won’t suffer. Thewilderness is God’s school of preparation for promotion. For those who God isworking on in the wilderness, it’s important to know that your suffering areseasonal and when you are tried and tested through the furnace of afflictions,you will come out with great glory and honor. God promised you the kingdom andHe must give it to you.You cannot be sweetly anointed unlessyou are first bitterly afflicted.The purpose of this stone is to smoothen the rough places of our lives and make the crooked ways straight. SUCCESSION Aleader becomes successful once he finds and trains his successor. Success is not complete without a successor.Aleader is a father who must raise sons. The future of any organization isdetermined by the kind of leaders it raises. You were anointed; you shouldanoint others to take your place. You were mentored, you should mentor others.Someone raised you and you should also lift others. Theleader must find a son, and sow in him a seed of destiny. David raisedSolomon to succeed him. A leader should replace himself. Jesus spent more ofhis time with the twelve emerging leaders than the time he spent with themultitude. Jesus spotted Peter and promised him the keys of the kingdom.Although Peter failed many times, Jesus never gave up on him and at the endPeter became a powerful leader of the early church. Aleader should spot a son, sow a seed and grow the son until he mature to takethe mantle. Sons are not perfect and so the father should have a bigheart to accommodate even the weakness of the son. The future of your ministrywill not be determined by the number of followers but by the sons you raise.For you to be called an effective leader, you need to build a foundation thatyour sons can build on. The leader needs the stone of Samuel (the father) andthe stone of Solomon (the son). By raising a son, theleader passes what he received from God to the next generation.A leader is a giant killer and thesuccess of the leader is measured not by the giants he has killed but by how many giant killers he raised.A leadershould equip others and by doing so pass the batton. For those facing giants in their lives,families, ministry, work and business its important to know that the giant wasnot sent to kill you but you are anointed to kill it.Thegiant is a gate to your greatness.David was unknown until he killedgoliath.Face your giants in God’s power and you will prevail and be promoted.You can conquer that challenge.You can overcome thatopposition.You can win that war.You are anointed to overcome those attacks.Betweenyou and your next level,there is a giant but your God is greater than yourgiants and you will win. Keep all these five stones ready in yourporch because you will need them to destroy the goliaths and hisbrothers.Goliath came from the town of Gath and God had commanded Joshua todestroy this town three hundred years before but Joshua failed to bring downthe town and its giants.Goliath represent some generational issues our fatherfailed to kill which are now attacking us and we must hold our ground anddestroy them.After David killed goliath the phillistines fled and theIsraelites ran after them collecting the spoils.Leadersare called to kill giants so that the followers can celebrate and enjoy God’sblessing.
Posted on: Wed, 19 Jun 2013 20:14:35 +0000
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