Source: newsthemegh.com/Ransford Gyampo
2Samuel 4:10 reads “The messenger who came to me at Ziglag thought he was bringing me good news but I seized him and had him killed. That was the reward I gave him for his good news”.
This young man thought he was sending good news to David, but he got killed as his reward.
Receiving glory is not evil. When you pass an exam, you receive glory. When you put on a good cloth or nice hairdo, you receive glory. When you give offering and you are recognized, you get glory. When you are appreciated publicly, you receive glory and when your attitude of not wanting to be given glory publicly for something you have done is mentioned, you receive glory. No one can say he or she doesn’t like glory. In fact, the purpose for God saving humanity is to bring man back into His glory.
Though glory is good, we must not always seek self glory as it is unhelpful and actually dangerous. By self glory, I am talking about the tendency to promote your own abilities beyond what is true or appropriate. The text above is about a young man who attempted to twist the truth about the death of Saul in an attempt to get self glory and a reward. Saul had had long persecuted David but David refused to harm him back. So one day, Saul went to war and died in his own and knowing that he had been a thorn in the flesh of David, this young man decided to go tell David that he was the one who killed Saul. So David also killed him because he never wanted to touch Saul because he had been anointed.
Clearly, it is then dangerous for one to seek self glory all the time, as this could lead to dangers including death. Self glory also brings about unnecessary hatred and refusal to acknowledge and tap into talents and potential in other people, that may be lacking in us. For instance, Saul refused to acknowledge the great anointing on David and his experience as great warrior, even though he had killed Goliath. So Saul pursued David till David fled to hide in Ziglag, a land of the Philistines. In David’s absence, Saul went to another war and died. If David had been there, this may not have happened.
At the time of Saul’s reign, David wasn’t the leader of Israel. But he was a hero. Heroes are not always leaders and leaders must learn to shun self glory and tap into the strengths of heroes, for when a leader allows a hero under him to shine and to do what they know how to do best, the ultimate glory comes to the leader. Leaders who suppress heroes under them just for the sake of their self glory would lose the potentials of their heroes and like Saul who died with his children, and army, such leaders will eventually die, not alone, but with their armies, family and close allies.
Dear Church leader, do not hate a pastor or member to force him to leave the church, just because you want your self glory and cannot tolerate other people’s potential. The same applies to our national politics. We must not lose our talents and scarce Human Resources just because we fear the talents of others. Political appointments must be made with recourse to meritocracy. A party in power must not seek its self glory to the point of refusing to appoint other talented and fine brains outside its fold.
Glory is good, but let us strive as much as possible to minimize self glory in everything we do. It is a show of modesty and humility that would ultimately bring us great benefits and divine upliftment.
This is the word of God for me and for you this week.