Saul kept a jealous eye on David. ~ I Samuel 18:9
READING: I Samuel 18:5-9
My parents once bought a home in the country that included a little pond just out of sight of the main house. Early the following spring, they bought twenty ducks and one big white goose for their pond. They really enjoyed those ducks! Every morning their goose would herd all twenty ducks up around the bend to my parent’s back door. Mom and Dad loved to feed them cracked corn.
But that goose was a cantankerous old bird. He honked and snapped whenever my folks tried to pet the ducks. It was so annoying! That entire summer they tried unsuccessfully to figure out how to get past that goose to pet their ducks. Finally my parents got so irritated that when Thanksgiving Day rolled around, late in the autumn, they butchered the goose and ate it for Thanksgiving dinner.
Within seven short days, all twenty defenseless ducks were killed by predators!
All of which reminds me of church planting. Sometimes an influential lay leader in our church plant can be as irritating and territorial as that goose. However, consider these three questions before deciding to give them “the ax”:
1. Have I missed ways this leader is demonstrating loyalty and courage? (Actually, that goose had served my parents well, valiantly fightingmany an unnoticed battle down at the pond. He had faithfully herdedthe ducks up to the house day after day.)
2. Does my annoyance express godly, shrewd leadership on my part or merely my own pride and carnality?
3. And have I thought through what will happen to the church if I “kill the goose?”
Dear Father, Please deliver me from a jealous spirit and help me to lead all those entrusted to my care with wisdom and maturity, even the “goose” in my flock. Amen.
