Potential, But Nothing More

Issue 1.17

At the beginning of Saul's life, he was budding with potential and on his way into the history books, but at the end, we find him poisoned by shame, jealousy, and disobedience to God.

"There was a man of Benjamin whose name was Kish.a mighty man of power. And he had a choice and handsome son whose name was Saul. There was not a more handsome person than he among the children of Israel. From his shoulders upward he was taller than any of the people" (1 Samuel 9:1-2, NIV)

In his younger years, Saul was probably used to reassurances that one day he would be great. "Jehovah will use you for great things, young Saul." "Saul, you are so brilliant and handsome.the Lord our God has mighty plans for you." His talent, his looks, his professionalism, his family lineage.Saul had everything going for him.

Test after test came, and Saul failed. The bud of potential was nipped off by pride and self-interest. Saul showed that, although capable, he was not worthy to lead.

1. Saul was a jealous, power-hungry man. Perhaps the "absolute power corrupts absolutely" was a factor for him. When others (like David) were praised for accomplishments, Saul grew angry that the people would not praise him in such a way. Because of his self-protective spirit, he shut David out of his life and treated him like an enemy. David could have become his most valuable team member. Rather than rewarding the success he saw in others, Saul let jealousy destroy his own potential.

2. He was angry and thoughtless in his decisions. He virtually lost the life of his son because of a foolish oath, and he tried to kill one of his most noble and faithful attendants in a fit of needless rage. If only Saul could have realized that he needed to develop the leaders around him and raise the level of the nation.instead he cut off all hope for an effective administration.

3. Saul was disobedient to God. The crowning moment of his disobedience, when God rejected him as king of Israel, was when he went against a direct command of God in order to gain political popularity. The downfall of any spiritual leader is in the rejection of God's plan.

This man could have been great, and he could have led his nation to greatness.but he discredited his name and dishonored the name of God. This resulted in God seeking a new leader for His people.

Making It Personal: What Can Be Learned from Saul?

1. You may be the right leader today, but that is no guarantee of tomorrow.

Saul was the embodiment of everything Israel could want in a leader.but time proved that image to be false. We must guard against sins of the heart. Satan would like nothing better than to turn every good leader today into a "Saul."

2. God is not obligated to use you as a leader.

God uses people at His own discretion, and those who fail to follow God's direction will not remain under His protection and blessing. We must never take the authority God shares with us for granted.

3. How you treat your team will influence your level of effectiveness.

Those who served Saul most faithfully were punished for their successes and threatened because they did get results. If Saul understood leadership, he would have used these team members to do God's work and to run the kingdom effectively. Instead, he refused to let anyone get credit for success but himself.

4. Cowardice and jealousy have no place in the life of a leader.

Who wants to follow a self-absorbed leader? Instead, self-confidence, faith in God, and team-building should be hallmarks of our leadership style.

5. A leader must have the guts to admit when they've blown it.

Saul, when he was confronted by Samuel, blamed the people for his sins. Saul's cowardice and pride destroyed any respect he may have had, and his denial of sin led to his removal from power. A good leader can recognize failure and sin, admit it honestly, and repent.

Daniel W. Jarvis
Staff Writer, Life Action Ministries