[Shimei] threw stones at David and
his officers, but the people and soldiers gathered all around David. (2 Samuel 16:6)
As leaders,
it’s a fact of life that people will throw stones at us. What a blessing to be
surrounded by people who love us, and who are willing to put themselves between
us and our detractors. It is not self-serving for a leader to teach those
around him their responsibility in this matter. It is not dictatorial or
cultish to engrain this kind of loyalty and sacrifice into the hearts and minds
of followers. Leaders in training will be blessed by following the example of
David’s soldiers. After all, one day someone will be throwing rocks at them.
There’s
another lesson here. David doesn’t just dismiss out of hand Shimei’s curses. If he is cursing me because the Lord told
him to, who can question him? (v. 10) David understood the necessity of
spreading out before the Lord accusations made against him. David knew that, only
after honest examination, if there was nothing there that would be the time to dismiss those curses. He was also humble
and teachable. If there was a foundation of truth in Shimei’s curse, or if God
was trying to speak to him, he was prepared to receive from the Lord his
message of correction.
When’s the last time
you expressed appreciation to people in your life who care enough about you to
shield you? And those who care enough to lovingly confront you?
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