When David saw the angel who was striking down the people, he said to the LORD, “I am the one who has sinned and done wrong. These are but sheep. What have they done? Let your hand fall upon me and my family.” – 2 Samuel 24:17

Today’s Scripture Reading (February 3, 2013): 2 Samuel 24

There is an old adage about leadership that a leader, by definition, has followers. Now, I am not talking about followers of the naive or deranged variety (such as might have followed Jim Jones into the jungle or Charles Manson on his crime rampage) but leaders do have followers. I often think with a good leader we may not realize that we are following, but we are. The adage makes a point that if you are a leader with no followers, what you really are is just a person out for a walk. For leaders to exist there needs to be someone who is willing to follow.

One of the things that have always scared me about leadership is the effect that my leadership could have on other people. The question of what if I do something wrong and something that I do causes the organization to fail- what kind of damage could that do to those who are following me – is a question that can sometime keep me awake at night. (Okay, I have a number of things that keep me awake at night.) It is a reality that unfortunately I have to admit that I have lived.

David knew the reality of that pain. It was his decision – his sin – that was now going to cause pain for an entire nation. His sin was going to cause death to some of his followers. And so he cries out to God a question – why is it that this has to happen this way? God, should it not be me?

But God understands something that every bad guy in the movies knew. Part of what it takes to be a good leader is  that leaders put the needs of others above our own needs. So the greatest punishment a leader can suffer is that his followers feel pain. David is actually crying out to God with this thought, God lessen your punishment on me by directing your anger at me.

As some people clamor after positions of leadership, I wonder if they really understand this one reality. To be a leader means not only that people are following you, but that you care about those that are following it. And sometimes I think we dream of the times when things go right and our pleasure is multiplied because of all of those that are walking with us. But the other side of the coin is scary – because the truth that David was experiencing is that when things go wrong, the pain in the leader is multiplied because of the pain in all those that are walking with him. And, as David knew too well, that pain is almost unbearable.    

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Psalm 4 & 5