Sreedhar's Journey

Are you famous or infamous? I was labeled a traitor to the country once because of the internet newspaper I ran. I was both popular and unpopular. However, the Chief Secretary of the government at that time took a chance on me and got me to teach character building to students at the government training center. It was quite an experience as we spent Saturdays training about 4 or 5 batches. David also had a similar experience. 1 Samuel 21:11, And the servants of Achish said to him, “Is this not David the king of the land? Did they not sing of him to one another in dances, saying: Saul has slain his thousands, And David his ten thousands’?” He was a known person and it was going to be difficult to get hidden from his pursuer, King Saul. Everyone recognized his abilities and what he could do to his enemies. But here he was in hiding. God picked David and anointed him king in his youth. But, here he was hiding from his predecessor that has been rejected by God. Fear ap...

Do men cry? Of course they do. It pains me to know that some people give a false impression that men must be unemotional. I remember when I received news that my father had collapsed and died, I did not cry. But when I had to start sharing the news with others my controls were down and I broke down. David, a man after God's heart, cried. 1 Samuel 20:41, As soon as the lad had gone, David arose from a place toward the south, fell on his face to the ground, and bowed down three times. And they kissed one another; and they wept together, but David more so. King Saul hated David to the point that he wanted to kill him. His son Jonathan was a close friend of David. Jonathan could not believe that his father would want to kill David. Two men wept together in the field. Jonathan was shamed by his father for being a friend to David, and David was under great stress trying to understand what he had done wrong. Their therapy was to cry. Father, as I cry before you, I know it is your way o...

Have you ever been caught in an embarrassing position? Don't tell me. I am sure you want to forget that time. Most times we bring it upon ourselves. You could have been angry, fed the wrong information or drunk. Saul too was caught. 1 Samuel 19:24, And he also stripped off his clothes and prophesied before Samuel in like manner, and lay down naked all that day and all that night. Therefore they say, “Is Saul also among the prophets?” Saul got very angry and wanted to spear David. Then he went looking for him in his house. Not finding him there he found out that he went with Samuel. 3 sets of messengers were sent by Saul to meet David. But they all ended up prophesying. Saul ended up the same way. God obviously intervened. This has never happened before. God protected David. Father, you have creative ways to protect your people. Thank you for doing that with me and others in my care.

The old advice given by some leaders is that you must be repressive and push your subordinates hard. They need to know you mean business. If you are lax, they will climb over your shoulders. This is absolutely wrong. In my years in leadership I have realized one thing. Respect is earned, not expected or demanded. People follow you because they want to. Not because you demand it. David was a people person. 1 Samuel 18:16, But all Israel and Judah loved David, because he went out and came in before them. David's life is totally orchestrated by God. He gets anointed as king in his youth, gets recommended to play music for King Saul, gets noticed as a man of war when he kills Goliath, builds a great reputation with the people through his successful conquests, and mingles with the common man. A man after God's heart. This is a great leader. Father, there is no other way to lead well. Help me to have your heart. This is the only way to have success.

The David and Goliath story is well known and shared with many children through books and presentations. The sad thing is that many think it is a fairy tale. They fail to realize this is the start of David's demonstration of how God was with David from his early years. David had no fear. 1 Samuel 17:32, Then David said to Saul, “Let no man’s heart fail because of him; your servant will go and fight with this Philistine.” There is mention that David is a youth. But when he triumphs over Goliath, he is well recognized and no more an obscure shepherd boy. The story of David is greatly inspirational. You cannot not build great lessons from this man and his life. It provides us a picture of what the youth of the world can achieve, if ready and available. Father, I must train well the youth. They are capable of more than we know or expect.

Choosing a new leader is not easy. Many organizations have built their culture and practices around a leader. In some cases the leader has become the icon of the organization for stakeholders external to the organization. Its image or brand value can be greatly impacted with a change in leadership. In Israel's case it was going to be for the better. 1 Samuel 16:7, But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or at his physical stature, because I have refused him. For the Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” God taught the people a big lesson. Outward appearance don't count. What matters is the heart of a leader. In this case a leader who is after God's own heart. The person needs to be ready to behave the way God would. He comes highly acclaimed and with a strong biodata. So much so that he enters Saul's presence to serve him after being anointed king by Samuel. 1 Samuel 16:18, Then o...

Many organizations have pursued various quality certifications for the primary purpose of differentiating their goods or services against their competitors. However, all quality systems are as good as the people that follow them. Namely, the employees of that organization. They could be checking off the boxes in the form, but not actually checking the product. Saul had a problem with obedience. 1 Samuel 15:15, And Saul said, “They have brought them from the Amalekites; for the people spared the best of the sheep and the oxen, to sacrifice to the Lord your God; and the rest we have utterly destroyed.” Saul was constantly seeking the approval of man. He did not care if Samuel's instructions were not followed. In fact he set a distance with God by calling Him Samuel's God. Instead, Saul builds himself a monument. He is ready to take the focus from God to himself. I will not repeat everything said in this chapter but this changed the course of history. The whole situation bro...