On the Path to Greatness, God is Trying to Kill Us

The enemies of greatness are not out there; they lie within us.

This is a message you probably didn’t want to hear but might need to.

But this thought cannot escape my mind. I’ve been reading 1 Samuel for my devotions. I am following the life of David and his ascension to the throne. It is fascinating. After he is anointed king in 1 Sam 8, he doesn’t become king immediately. Rather, he spends the next few decades on the run. He is in caves. He is being threatened. He has his wives taken. Saul throws spears at him. He has to live among his enemies. And even after he takes the throne, the kingdom splits into two.

Questions bombard my mind:

Why does God allow this?
Why does God put this crazy person Saul over David’s life?
Why does God make David run around in the wilderness for so long?

Then one day, it dawned upon me:

God is trying to kill something in David that did not die in Saul.

Saul failed because power corrupted him. He was tall, handsome, and beloved by the people. Yet he became drunk with his own power and authority. He had forgotten about God. He no longer followed him nor trusted him.

For this reasons God determined that the next king would be a man who was “after my own heart.” He wanted someone honorable, trustworthy, and truly powerful on the throne. And what did it take to make this man? It took the wilderness.

The wilderness is God’s chosen tool to kill the things within us that keep us from being great.

In the wilderness, David learned never to depend on himself. In the wilderness, David learned to honor the leaders above him, no matter how corrupt they were. In the wilderness, David learned that promotion was given (and taken) by God. There are many lessons learned in the wilderness that we do not learn on the throne.

This is where the lesson is really important.

I believe that you are called to greatness. And that greatness inevitably will result in positions of power. That’s true if you’re reading this. Whether you’re going to be the head of the school board, a manager over others, head over companies, leading your kids, or leading ministries and churches.

And the pathway to greatness, as I’ve come to learn, always includes this process. Always. It includes seasons of wilderness. Seasons of loneliness. Seasons of battle. Seasons of hardship.

And in that process, I know one thing for sure–God will try to kill something inside of you. He wants to make sure that the position of power is met by someone who understands the corrupting power of it. He wants David’s in power; not Saul’s.

Here’s an encouragement–Don’t be surprised. Don’t be alarmed. Welcome it with open arms. There is grace in the wilderness. There is growth. And there is encouragement.

I’ve been in many such seasons myself. God has tried to put to death in me my pride. My anger. My lust. My selfishness. Sometimes only the darkest things die in the wilderness.

Have you ever experienced the strong hand of God to shape and form you? Have you had wilderness seasons in your life where God shaped you in unique ways? Are you in one right now and you need some encouragement? Let me know in the comments.

You were made for greatness,
Phil

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P.s. I made an error last time where only paid subscribers could comment (Sorry! Still learning the new system). Now everyone can comment. Cheers.