2022-04-26
Psalm 15:5 NLV
Ons lees in die Bybel: ‘As jy aanhou om vir iemand te sê hoe hy moet lewe, maar hy bly hardkoppig, dan sal dit gou sleg gaan met hom, en niemand sal hom kan help nie’ (Spreuke 29:1 ABA). Koning Salomo is bekend daarvoor dat hy die wysste man is wat nog ooit gelewe het. Hy het hierdie woorde geskryf, maar hartseer genoeg nie self daaraan gehoor gegee nie en tot ‘n val gekom. As dit met Salomo kon gebeur, is niemand van ons immuun daarteen nie!
Karakter het deesdae ‘n deurslaggewende saak geword, omdat soveel politici, sakelui en godsdienstige leiers in die openbaar tot ‘n val kom. Jy tree nie in ‘n vakuum as leier op nie. Jy beïnvloed baie mense en wanneer jy val, voel hulle die reperkussies daarvan.
Hoe kan jy dus daarteen waak om nie te val nie? Deur nie gawes bo karakter te stel nie. Ons het deesdae ‘n ongesonde tendens om iemand se gawes te vier en te beloon en hulle karakter oor te sien; beide moet egter ontwikkel word. Karakter is die somtotaal van jou daaglikse gewoontes.
Dawid gee ons agt karaktereienskappe in Psalm 15 om voor uit te kyk in ‘n leier wat ons respek waardig is: 1) Hulle het integriteit. 2) Hulle neem nie deel aan skinderpraatjies nie. 3) Hulle maak nie ander seer nie. 4) Hulle wys verkeerde dinge uit. 5) Hulle eer diegene wat in die waarheid wandel. 6) Hulle kom hulle beloftes na, selfs wanneer dit hulle persoonlik kos. 7) Hulle is nie ten koste van ander gierig vir wins nie. 8) Hulle is sterk en stabiel. Dawid sluit sy psalm af deur te sê dat: ‘Só ‘n mens sal vir altyd stewig staan.’ Dis hoe jy nie tot ‘n val kom nie!
Sielskos: Dan 3-4; Matt 2:1-12; Ps 7:1-9; Spr 10:16
Psalm 15:5 NIV
In The Message paraphrase we read, ‘For people who hate discipline and only get more stubborn, there’ll come a day when life tumbles in and they break, but by then it’ll be too late to help them”‘ (Proverbs 29:1 MSG). King Solomon was said to be the wisest man who ever lived. He wrote these words, but sadly he didn’t live by them, so he ‘crashed and burned’. And if it could happen to Solomon, it could happen to any of us. So how can we guard against falling?
We need to avoid favouring gifts and skills above character. There’s often a tendency to celebrate and reward someone’s gift and overlook their character; but both must be developed, not just the gifts and skills part.
In Psalm 15, David gives us eight traits to look for in a leader worthy of respect: 1) They have integrity. 2) They don’t take part in gossip. 3) They don’t harm others. 4) They speak up against wrong. 5) They honour those who walk in the truth. 6) They keep their promise, even at personal cost. 7) They’re not greedy to profit at the expense of others. 8) They’re strong and stable. David concludes his psalm by saying those who do these things ‘will never be shaken’.
Even if we’re not leaders, we should pay attention to this list, because every one of those traits is worth developing, whatever our role in life. And by working on these things, we’ll have some of the best protection from falling. We also need to stay close to God and learn to recognise His voice by talking and listening to Him every day and getting into His Word regularly. That way, we’ll have the best guidance system to help us avoid falls that could take us down.
Dan 3-4; Matt 2:1-12; Ps 7:1-9; Pro 10:16
Psalm 15:5 NIV
In the Bible we read, “For people who hate discipline and only get more stubborn, there’ll come a day when life tumbles in and they break, but by then it’ll be too late to help them” (Proverbs 29:1 MSG). King Solomon was reputed to be the wisest man who ever lived. He wrote these words, but sadly he didn’t live by them, so he “crashed and burned.” And if it could happen to Solomon, none of us is immune!
Character has become a crucial issue today because so many political, business, and religious leaders have fallen so publicly. As a leader, you don’t operate in a vacuum. You influence many others, and when you fall, they feel the repercussions. When a big oak tree falls, it takes the little trees with it.
So how can you guard against falling? By not favouring gifts over character. Today we have an unhealthy tendency to celebrate and reward someone’s gift and overlook their character; both must be developed. Character is the sum total of your daily habits.
In Psalm 15, David gives us eight traits to look for in a leader worthy of respect: (1) They have integrity. (2) They don’t take part in gossip. (3) They don’t harm others. (4) They speak up against wrong. (5) They honor those who walk in the truth. (6) They keep their promise, even at personal cost. (7) They’re not greedy to profit at the expense of others. (8) They’re strong and stable. David concludes his psalm by saying those who do these things “will never be shaken.”
That’s how you keep from falling!
Soul food: Dan 3-4; Matt 2:1-12; Ps 7:1-9; Pro 10:16
2022-04-25
1 Samuel 18:9 NLT
One of the truest tests of leadership is how you respond to somebody else’s success. Do you rejoice, or secretly resent them? Do you feel like their blessing somehow came at your expense? King Saul sent David out to fight Goliath. When he succeeded and the Israelites began to sing David’s praises, Saul couldn’t handle it. “From that time on Saul kept a jealous eye on David.”
Leaders who lack confidence are a danger to themselves, their followers, and the groups they lead. That’s because leadership doesn’t camouflage your flaws; it puts them on display. Whatever negative baggage you’re carrying grows heavier when you attempt to lead others. Insecure leaders generally have four common traits:
(1) They don’t provide security for others. To be a good leader, you must make your followers feel good about themselves. Honor them. Reward them. Promote them.
(2) They take more than they give. Insecure leaders are on a continual search for validation, acknowledgment, and love. And because of that, their focus is on obtaining personal security, not instilling it in others.
(3) They continually limit their best people. Insecure leaders don’t see their best people as coworkers; they see them as potential competitors who might rise up through the ranks and threaten their position. Such leaders generally find ways to take the credit for work that was done by others.
(4) They continually limit their organization. When followers are undermined and go unrecognized, they become disheartened and eventually stop performing to their potential. When that occurs, the whole organization suffers.
Today, examine your leadership style and see if any of these shoes fit you.
Soul food: Dan 1-2; Matt 1:18-25; Ps 127; Pro 10:15
1 Samuel 18:9 NLT
We may never have an ‘official’ leadership role, but there are all kinds of opportunities to be role models for the people we interact with each day and the people who look up to us in some way, so it’s important that we try to show the qualities of a good leader.
One of the best tests of good leadership is how we respond to somebody else’s success. Do you rejoice, or secretly resent them? King Saul sent David out to fight Goliath, but when David succeeded and the Israelites began to congratulate him, Saul couldn’t handle it. ‘From that time on Saul kept a jealous eye on David.’ David’s success made Saul feel insecure about himself. Insecurity can prevent us from being good role models and leaders.
That’s because insecure leaders tend to do these things: 1) They don’t provide security for others. To be a good leader, we must try to give our followers confidence in themselves. We should encourage them and help them grow, and it’s difficult to do that if we’re feeling insecure about ourselves.
2) They take more than they give. Insecure leaders look for validation, acknowledgement, and love from the people who look up to them, rather than instilling those things in others.
3) They limit people. Insecure leaders see others as potential competitors who might threaten their position, so they might try to make others doubt their own abilities to reduce the threat. In order to be good leaders and role models, we need to be secure in who we are – and that comes from God. ‘The Father has loved us so much that we are called children of God’ (1 John 3:1 NCV). And He says to us, ‘You did not choose me; I chose you’ (John 15:16 NCV).
Dan 1-2; Matt 1:18-25; Ps 127; Pro 10:15
