One thing I hope is clear already is the heart. If we are to be leaders that bring Him honor whether in the Lord or in the market place it all comes down to the heart. So let’s take a little bit of time and look at the heart. The more you develop a heart after Him the more effective you will be as a leader and the more glory you will bring Him.

 

If we go back and study the story of Saul and David you will see a lesson in having the right heart. Saul was the people’s choice. He was tall and from an outward appearance a great king and warrior. He was tall in stature but he had a small heart. He was more moved by his selfish ambition then the people. He did not walk with a fear and awe of the Lord. With Saul it was all about Saul. David was the opposite.

 “David after he had served the purpose of God in his own generation, fell asleep.”

Acts 13: 36

 David served his generation and ran the race the Lord had for him. We must seek if the Lord tarries to have the same said about us by the Holy Spirit. We need to serve our generation according to the purpose of heaven. To do that it is all about the heart. Remember I shared earlier that how faith works by or is energized by love. In other words love enables faith to reach its full potential. Without love all we are is noise. We may work mighty powerful miracles that impress the audience but heavens does not applaud. In fact we may find ourselves standing before Him one day trying to justify ourselves by our deeds only to hear “depart.” So let us take time to focus on the heart and develop our love walk.

 “And after He had removed him, He raised up David to be their king, concerning whom He also testified and said, “I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after my heart, who will do My will.”

Acts 13” 22

 The Lord testified regarding David that he was a man after His heart. What an honor. To get the attention of heaven and have heaven say such a thing. Wow! We must strive for such a thing. As a leader this must be the standard you pursue. We must continually seek to be people after His heart.

So what was unique about David that captured the Lord’s attention? What was it about David’s heart that blessed the Lord?

David was not just a man of words but deeds as well. He was a brave warrior who put the people first. But even before the people he put the Lord first. He took time seeking the Lord. Thankfully we can look at the Psalms he wrote and if we place them in the time period of his life when he wrote and sang them we can get a glimpse of what was going through his heart and mind. I did a study on this years ago and plan to write a book on this study as I believe it will bless many. But for now let’s look at a few key events so we can get an insight into the heart of this king. The Bible states his name became highly respected and to be said you were of the house of David was a great honor for a long time. Recent archeological digs have confirmed that this was true. So David did not just carry the respect of heaven but the people respected him. If David said he would do it he did it. He was a man of integrity and the people knew that. He was a fair and honest man. He did not run from the battle but ran to the battle. He was not a coward full of excuses but a mighty man.

 “But the Lord said to Samuel, ‘Do not look at his appearance or at the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for God sees not as a man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”

1 Samuel 16: 7

 A promotion from the Lord is based upon the heart verses the world which looks at outward things. There are two laws we need to be aware of.

First the law of survival of the fittest. It demands that someone else must die that I might live. It demands that I walk all over you to ensure my success. It states that if you really want something you must make it happen and defeat anyone standing in your way. This is the standard of the world. It is a law where we walk according to the flesh and came into existence at the fall. It is all about the flesh. So don’t be surprised when unregenerate man will exploit your weaknesses for their personal gain. When evil men seem to prosper for a season by walking over people and doing evil. That is not how a believer is to operate. The truth is what you sow you reap. These individuals will ultimately reap a terrible harvest.

There is a powerful scripture that says…

 “For what will a man be profited, if he gains the whole world, and forfeits his soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?

Matthew 16: 26

 We always translate this as they gain the world but lose salvation. I also see it as they lose their “soul.” To explain they lose control over their mind and emotions. They become slaves to addictions, overwhelmed by the pressure of life and have no peace. They have no true joy and inwardly they are bound and in turmoil. They are always striving to get more in the hope to satisfy the longing on the inside but it is never enough. They can’t silence the critic on the inside. Talk to someone of these people and you will soon discover the torment they live in because they have lost control of their soul. They have matured their flesh so much that they reap a flesh harvest.

So what is the other law? The law of the Spirit and life. This law calls for us to lay down our life that we might live. It calls for us to surrender and submit to the Spirit. This law is all about the spirit man. This is a law that only those who have be regenerated and have surrendered to the Holy Spirit can walk in. It calls for us to walk by faith in love full of hope. It is not about us making things happen but in trust that He who promised is able and will do exactly what He promised.

Let’s look at a Psalm of David…

 “O Lord my heart is not proud, nor my eyes haughty; nor do I involve myself in great matters or in things too difficult for me.

Surely I have composed and quieted my soul; like a weaned child rests against his mother, my soul is like a weaned child within me.

O Israel, hope in the Lord from this time forth and for evermore.”

Psalm 131

 

Compare this to those who have lost their soul. David has full control over his soul and has peace. He is full of hope and learned that there are things too great for him and he trusted those to the Lord. The reality is that life can be too big at times. Too hard and overwhelming. These are the times we must walk in surrender. As a leader you will face challenges that are simply beyond you. David faced many such situations and discovered the power of surrender. He learned how to stay in peace even in the tough times. It is essential that you learn to walk in peace and do not allow your flesh to take over during the hard or difficult times.

 “And they were amazed at His teaching; for He was teaching them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.”

Mark 1: 22

 I will never forget one of the first times I got up to preach many years ago. As I parked myself at the pulpit I saw myself to the side preaching. I was preaching with a boldness and authority. I remember saying to the Lord that is not me. I looked and I remember feeling foolish. But something in me stirred in my heart and said “trust Me and let go.” When the Holy Spirit comes upon us there is a boldness we receive and an authority. However, it requires us to yield to Him and step out of our comfort zones. A true leader must be willing to set out of their comfort zone be whom the Lord calls them. A leader is willing to follow the leading of the Holy Spirit even if it seems foolish or uncomfortable.