Heart and Hands

Ps. 78:72 "So he shepherded them according to the integrity of his heart, and guided them by the skillfulness of his hands."

This is a description of David's leadership style...how he did it. There are a few elements that are key: shepherding and guiding, integrity and skillfulness, heart and hands.

The shepherd is to feed. The word for shepherd is actually used 75 times in relation to feeding, 63 times in relation to shepherding and 8 times in relation to pastoring. This is something a leader does. He feeds those under his care. But the feeding is based upon his character. It is based upon integrity. It is based upon innocence, uprightness, simplicity and the fulness of his life. What he feeds is what he is, what he lives, what he is like in his inner man. It comes from within...the heart.

Frankly, it is easy to prepare a meal and throw it in front of people...it can be anything. But to truly feed hungry people, to truly shepherd, one must dig from a pure, innocent, unblemished heart. If the heart is not pure, the food will be rotten. Unfortunately, there are hypocrites in positions in leadership. There are fakes who pastor. There are guys just going through the motions just to collect a paycheck or to obtain or retain their power. This is not how David lead. It is not how we should lead.

But then look, he guided his people. He brought them along with skillfulness, with intelligence, with understanding, with knowledge, with insight. He was not lazy. He had a pure heart and he used his hands, his body, to work hard, to prepare well, to research, to think, to mold what he did to the needs of his people because he knew who they were and he had insight into what needed to be done.

I wonder how hard I work at preparation? Do I want things to come easily? Do I research and think and prepare with skill? Do I consider my audience and get ready with them in mind, or do I throw in front of them leftovers from something I made before? No way...this must not be done. We have to lead others with the integrity of our hearts and guide them with the skillfulness of our hands. Purity of heart before God and hard work. There is no substitute for effective leadership.