2 Samuel 18:2- serving with the troops

 David sent out his troops, a third under the command of Joab, a third under Joab’s brother Abishai son of Zeruiah, and a third under Ittai the Gittite. The king told the troops, “I myself will surely march out with you.” 2 Samuel 18:2

I love the life of King David.  He is a great example of what a leader can, could, and should be.  I love the love of King David because he is a leader that everyone can look at and seem themselves in one or more aspects of his life.   He is a man who desires to follow God.  He is a man after God's own heart (Acts 13:22).  He is a man who desires fellowship with God, and yet he is a man whose own sin nature gets in his way (2 Sam. 11).  There are many lessons to learn from the life of King David (one is which I hope to begin to study).  

Today, as I was reading through 2 Samuel 18 this verse jumped out and I saw a leadership principle that I still have not been able to forget.  Don't ask the people you are leading to do something that you are not willing to do yourself.  

King David is a warrior, he is know as a king who has cleaned out the Promised Land and known for spilling blood (1 Chron. 28:3).  David desires to build God a permanent home but cannot because of the choices and wars he has fought.  

King David has learned many lessons.  One time when the troops went out to war David stayed behind and made some really poor decision sand ended up having an affair with Bathsheba.  After the affair, he lied, and also sentenced her husband to death to try to cover up his sin.  (and this is a man after God's own heart).  So perhaps David learned from his previous mistakes and didn't put himself into a compromising situation.  Perhaps he learned from his mistakes of 2 Samuel 11.     

As David is sending out the troops to battle, it could have been really easy to stay in the castle and manage the troops from the "command room."  However, in this verse, David reminds us what a leader should do:  Be willing to serve alongside others.  

Sometimes in leadership, as we climb the "ladder of success" we often forget what it is like from the lower rungs.  We forget the blood, sweat, and tears it take to finish a task from above.  Sometimes in leadership, we forget that the decisions we make from our desk impact the lives of others.

As David is sending out his troops (in thirds), he decides to go with them.  perhaps, to keep himself out of trouble.  I also think that David wants to serve along side his troops, to encourage them as the fight the enemy.  There is something encouraging to the employee when he or she sees the "boss" in the trenches willing to do the hard work.  It adds value to the team, moral to the troops, and it allows the leader to know the struggles and the impacts of the decisions they make from the corner office.

As you lead today:

Where can you find time and margin to leave the "command room" and join the troops in the battle?  What type of impact do you think that could have on your employees?  What type of lessons could you learn as you serve alongside your employees?  What type of example would you be setting for the organization (church) would you be setting when you ask others to serve and give?