Page 35 - Empowering Missional Artists - Jim Mills.pdf

35
KING DAVID: GOD’S ARTIST LEADER

Today, though there are many books on leadership, only a hand full really lead us to feast

on Biblical narrative where there are treasures to be discovered. In the lives of men and women

throughout the Old and New Testaments, one finds the traits for leadership embedded in their

stories. It is worth taking time delving into the life of David, as his story is superlatively relevant

to the idea of empowering artist leaders. In the New Testament, even the blind recognized Jesus

as the ‘son of David.’ (Matthew 9:27) What an honor for David, that the Son of God might identify

Himself through the name of one of His creatures: David of whom God said, “I have found a man

. . . after my own heart” (Acts 13:22) is an example of an artist leader.

David was a man formed in the caldron of adversity and prepared through hardship;

through persecutions; and through testing. All this challenged his “spiritual stamina” (Webster

2007, 41) and established him as a servant leader. Though he failed miserably and horribly, still

God ultimately triumphed in his life. In this brief section, three life episodes will be shared, which

will aid us in the discovery of some of the traits that God found in him that made him the leader

that he was. David was a servant son, a transparent leader and a vulnerable artist in his pre-

modern world and we will look at what God saw in him as a boy, as a leader and finally as an

artist.

In 1 Samuel 16, we find the story of this mere boy anointed king. In a huge family, the

youngest of eight sons, his youthfulness landed him the solitary job of tending to the sheep. That

is where he was when a disillusioned and a grieving Samuel came in search for God’s choice. “I

will show you . . . the one whom I designate,” (I Samuel 16:3) was the only direction God gave

when Samuel was led to the house of Jesse. Samuel, though he also was one like David with a

heart to do all that God purposed, (I Samuel 2:35) found himself looking at the exterior when he

went to Jesse’s house. God reminded him: “God sees not as man sees, for man looks at the