CAUTION: There's a Young Leader in the House!

David was somewhere between twelve and fifteen when he was anointed to become King of Israel. But David wasn’t appointed as King for more than a dozen years. There were things that had to happen between the anointing and the appointing. Many senior leaders fail to put the mark of a father on their spiritual sons and daughters, fearful that they’ll lose them. But young leaders must be taught, corrected, encouraged, rebuked, and trained.

Many up-and-coming leaders miss the vital lessons necessary for a successful future ministry when impatience, pride, or rebellion so often leads them away from their places of preparation.

What can David teach us? First, David learned to wait for God’s timing. When David was anointed to be King at a young age, he didn’t throw a party. He didn’t post it on Face-Book, MySpace, or his church web-site. What did he do? He went back to work. He was faithful to his current assignment. He waited on the Lord’s timing for promotion.

Secondly, David learned how to cooperatively and faithfully serve the current leader. Even when his leader attempted to kill him, David never lost his heart for the King. When given the opportunity to kill the King in self-defense, he refused to do it (he would not touch God’s anointed and appointed leader).

Next, David learned to win over the little things before tackling the big ones. Before David could take on a giant by the name of Goliath, he first was tested with the battle of a lion and a bear. Before he could be King, he would have to serve the King. Apprentice leaders must learn to win over small things before God can offer the challenging battles of the ministry Goliaths veteran leaders must face on a regular basis.

Finally, David learned to win over his private battles before entering the public arena. The Lion and the bear were private battles. Young leaders need to learn how to win the private battles before stepping into their places of maximum impacting ministries. So often, when they prematurely leave their place of preparation, they leave without victory over the private issues that will later hinder their success in public ministry.

How are you handling your young leaders? Do you recognize greatness when you see it? Does potential in others intimidate you? Do you feel threatened by strong leaders on your team? Are you afraid to offer correction to apprentice leaders? What could you add to my above observations concerning King David?