What IfSample

What If They Listen? 

The purpose of a leader is to influence the people around him.

This is why leaders are so afraid when people do not listen to us. Because when people do not pay attention to us, that means we have failed to influence them.

But what if they do pay attention? What if the problem is not because of a failure to communicate but instead because you are not communicating what you want to communicate? What if people listen to you more than you know?

David was shocked to see the fear around him. This was the army of the living God. Surely they knew that the God of Israel will protect his people?

The soldiers were afraid because King Saul himself was afraid! The king’s number one job is to protect his people. He should have been the one going out to Goliath and to take care of business. But he was overcome by fear and he hid in his tent. The generals and the captains saw this. The soldiers knew that Saul was afraid. And so they too became afraid.

Saul was afraid because Goliath was stronger than him. But David knew that this was about God—the God who had saved Israel over and over again in the past, would save them now.

So David went to confront Goliath and took care of business. Inspired by David’s faith and courage, the formerly defeated Israel army followed David to victory.

Both David and Saul probably had not planned to influence people through their actions. But the people did pay attention to these leaders. Not just their words, but even more their actions. One led them to fear and defeat while the other one led them to victory in God.

Like it or not, people pay attention to us. People follow us. If people follow us, then we must lead them to God. 

There will be times when we will not be enough—but God is always more than enough. And the more we, as leaders, lean into God and follow him completely, others will be influenced to do the same.