1 Samuel 9:2 (NIV) – Kish had a son named Saul, as handsome a young man as could be found anywhere in Israel, and he was a head taller than anyone else.
Good looking. Great appearance. The first impression is in what is seen. Someone has correctly said that, you do not have a second chance to make the first impression. Saul was good looking and that defines a great person. Be intentional with how you look like. If people were to judge you by your appearance, what would they conclude?
1 Samuel 9:3 (NIV) – Now the donkeys belonging to Saul’s father Kish were lost, and Kish said to his son Saul, “Take one of the servants with you and go and look for the donkeys.”
Saul was obedient. Obedience is what great people are made of. Saul was an adult man, yet he obeyed his father. We will never grow old enough or be too senior enough to be exempted from obedience. True obedience begins with obedience to parents, teachers then God. The great are obedient. Those who are disobedient may wish to be great or may pretend to be great, but they will never be great. Obedience to people and God places us among the great!
1 Samuel 9:5 (NIV) – When they reached the district of Zuph, Saul said to the servant who was with him, “Come, let’s go back, or my father will stop thinking about the donkeys and start worrying about us.”
Concern for others. Sensitive to the feelings of others. Saul tells the servant that we should go back because our father is no longer worried about the donkeys he sent us to look for, he is now worried about us. He cared about the feelings of his father. Are you concerned about the feelings of your parents? Are you concerned that when your phone is off, when you don’t communicate, people are worried?
When you disappear from home, don’t you care that your parents or spouse or children are worried? Concern for others defines great people. It is that concern for others that makes one a selfless leader. Without concern for others, a leader becomes selfish and corrupt and the people regret having him or her. This concern must begin at home before growing to be a concern for others. Are you concerned about the feelings of others in your family, church, and community?
1 Samuel 9:7 (NIV) – Saul said to his servant, “If we go, what can we give the man? The food in our sacks is gone. We have no gift to take to the man of God. What do we have?”
Appreciates procedure and is reverent. The servants tells Saul that let us go to the man of God and ask about our lost donkeys. Saul reminds him the procedure – we can’t go empty handed. He appreciated the laid down procedure of approaching the man of God.
Those who follow procedure are great. The only reason we do not follow procedure is because we feel we are above the law that gave the procedure. Being above the law is a sense of entitlement. There is no greatness in a person who feels entitled. The problem of entitlement is the lack of humility and feeling better than others.
Entitlement to first and fast service while others are queuing. Entitlement to getting freely what others are paying for. Entitlement to rules being broken to serve your interests. Entitlement to unearned respect. Entitlement kills greatness!
Saul was reverent. When approaching God and the things of God, we need to be reverent. Saul said to the servant- we can’t meet the man of God without an offering. Greatness is defined by reverence for God and the things of God.
1 Samuel 9:17 (NIV) – When Samuel caught sight of Saul, the LORD said to him, “This is the man I spoke to you about; he will govern my people.”
Greatness is not self-made it is God made. God chose and made Saul great. Saul didn’t scheme for it. Saul didn’t pay for it. Saul didn’t do everything to get it. Saul was given leadership by God, when he Saul was least expecting. Leadership and greatness is God given. You can make your own way to leadership but you won’t be great, unless God makes you great. You can be great without being a leader if God makes you great. You can offer leadership without being chosen a leader because God has made you a leader. Greatness is God made and God given. Saul was made great and a leader by God!
1 Samuel 9:21 (NIV) – Saul answered, “But am I not a Benjamite, from the smallest tribe of Israel, and is not my clan the least of all the clans of the tribe of Benjamin? Why do you say such a thing to me?”
Self estimate is measured and humble. Saul did not over estimate himself. He wasn’t proud. He considered others better placed than himself. That aspect makes a person lead-able and makes one easy to work with others. Team work is enhanced by the feeling of needing others because you are not the only best person. That ability to be guided and to work with others, defines a great person.
No man or woman is an island. We need others to guide us. We need others that we can work with. That is only possible if our self estimate allows us to be guided and to value the contributions of others. That is what defines greatness!
Dear God, may these characteristics that define greatness be our inbuilt character. Make us great. May we be defined as Saul was defined in this chapter. In Jesus’s name, Amen!
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