Leadership Qualities: Relationships Part 2

Nabal: The Other Shoe Drops

Nabal’s wife may have excelled in relationships, but Nabal floundered. Their marriage illustrates that opposites really do attract.

Nabal should have known that David had saved his nation from Goliath and the Philistines. He should have known the prophet Samuel had anointed David to be the next king. He should have known that David had long protected Nabal’s men and possessions. But if Nabal knew any of these things, they didn’t matter to him. Nabal still refused to return David’s favor.

So was Nabal a criminal? Did he do anything illegal or immoral? Not really. He simply sabotaged his leadership by his lack of people skills.

Nabal serves as a prototype of many  pastors and leaders today. Like Nabal, we become so consumed wit hour own work and personal life that we neglect the only external resource on this earth: people. How exactly did Nabal fail  to develop healthy relationship skills?

Why Did Nabal Fail?

1. Nabal grew wealthy and satisfied and didn’t think he needed to build relationships.
2. Nabal became selfish and distrustful of others; he couldn’t overcome his evil temperament.
3. Nabal neither gave nor received encouragement; he had grown numb to positive attitudes.
4. Nabal forgot how others had blessed him in the past; he counted only his losses.
5. Nabal belittled people and forgot their names; his insecurity prevented generosity.
6. Nabal saw no reason to help others; he suffered from self-centered motives.
7. Nabal wanted to build only his own “kingdom,” not God’s.

Relational skills are paramount in the kingdom of God. Jesus summarized the kingdom in two phrases: 1. Love God with all your heart; and 2. Love your neighbor as yourself. Our faith doesn’t revolve around some sterile creed or doctrine, although creeds remain important. Faith revolves around relationships, vertical with God and horizontal with people. It’s all about relationships.

Join me next time for Leadership Qualities: Relationships Part 3