Today’s Reading: 1 Samuel 24
David had more than one opportunity to
launch a surprise attack on Saul and put an end to his own torture
of being hunted and hounded by the king. But he did not act on those
opportunities. Instead, he chose to
respect God’s chosen leader and keep him alive even though it meant his own
torment and discomfort would continue.
Some would say that whenever God opens a door of opportunity, we must go
through it and take hold of the situation that has presented itself. But is that always true? Actually, no. There are times when personal character
matters more than seizing opportunity. In
this case, David had a personal conviction from God about laying a hand on
God’s chosen leader. David’s logic, though it seemed illogical to some, was
simply that one should never attack the Lord’s anointed – even though the
opportunity to do so presented itself.
What application does this have to
Christians today? Who is, or are, the Lord’s anointed who should not be
attacked? Does this mean we should never challenge or attack a Christian leader
or Pastor? That we must recognize him as God’s anointed and not “lay a hand” on
him? In the New Testament, congregations
are not led by kings or prophets. They are led by “pastors,” a word that means
servant-shepherds. Yes, I know in many circles the pastor and his wife are
treated like royalty. Some even refer to the pastor’s wife as first
lady. But this verse was never
intended to place people above others or remove them from accountability for
their actions. While we must hold our leaders accountable for issues to do with
false doctrine, sin, and stewardship failures, we must be very careful not to
“attack” or “oppose” or “dispute with” our pastor-shepherd for issues that are
not critical or vital to the life of the church. He is God’s under-shepherd and
has been chosen by God for his service to the church. As such, we must be careful to support and
defend him privately and publicly.
More importantly for us, we need to see
the underlying principle here – Conviction Trumps Opportunity! We must never yield to an apparent
opportunity when doing so will compromise our convictions. David chose not to lift a finger against Saul
because in his heart he knew God would not be pleased. In the same way, we must be careful not to go
through “an open door” just because it is there. We must seek God’s will and search our own
hearts. If seizing the opportunity
compromises our convictions, we must decline.
Perhaps you’re competing for a promotion at work, but you know another
employee is more deserving than you. Be
careful that you don’t “attack” that other employee just to better your
situation. Or, maybe you’ve just been in
a minor traffic collision that was really your fault, but when the police
report is made, you claim the other person was at fault just so you can protect
your driving record or insurance premiums.
Remember – conviction always trumps
opportunity. Put God’s principles first,
then if a door opens that doesn’t require compromise of your convictions, you
can be confident in going through that door.
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