Leading Through Transition: 1 Samuel 12:19-25
Godly leadership is servant leadership. Godly leadership is not about power; it is about love. Godly leaders care about people, not positions and control. Godly leaders want what God desires for the people, not what is best for themselves.
After hearing Samuel’s pronouncement and witnessing God’s testimony in the storm, the people confess their sin and ask Samuel to pray for them. Samuel addresses their confession. Then he addresses their concern over his prayer.
One of the main reasons Christian leaders hold their charges accountable is because God supplies the greatest answer to moments when we fail. When we sin and fail God, God still loves us. He made a covenant with His people, and through the death of Jesus He extended His promise of love to anyone who would receive it. The answer to confessed sin is always love. God promised love, knowing our flaws. He knew we could not possibly live a completely moral and ethical life. He recognized our internal lust for power, lust for money, and lust for each other. Knowing all, He still promised love.
Leaders hold their people accountable and speak plainly about failings and shortcomings because it is an excellent opportunity to train people in confession for the purpose of receiving love. We do not force people to face their wrongdoings to shame them, although it is certainly not wrong for people to feel genuine shame during the process. We force people to face their wrongdoings to learn how to admit mistakes. After acknowledging their flaws, love is the natural application to help people overcome their flaws. Convicting people of their mistakes is ultimately all about displaying love.
Samuel’s other response is to reinforce his continued prayer. When the people acknowledge their sin and ask him to continue to pray, he instructs them about how cessation in prayer for the people would be to sin against God by the leader. As a leader of the people, God wants Samuel to uphold them in prayer. It is the task of all leaders to remember their people before the Lord. It is not an optional activity. When God places a person into our life under our authority, it is our job to bring them into the presence of God in our prayers. We are to think about them and listen to God as He instructs us and prepares us for the next steps in their journey. To lead and mentor someone without praying for them always risks being caught off-guard and unprepared. God has a plan for them, and if God desires us to be a part of shaping that plan, He will guide us.
Being a leader means always taking the high ground. Samuel puts this on display as he says goodbye. He holds the people accountable. He demonstrates love when they sin. He prays for them to prepare for the next step in their journey. Godly leadership is servant leadership.
