Humility & Fierce Resolve

Piece of crap, I had most of this blog written out then I went back into it today to finish is off to realize that it doesn\’t automatically save and I didn\’t save it. So needless to say all of my original thoughts about this topic are gone. That blows. I guess that this has really never happened before so I haven\’t felt this way but I hate the fact that some of the things that were in my head are lost in the obis of my mind never to be recalled again. Ugh…

Anyways over the last couple of days I have been reading this book called \”Good to Great\” by Jim Collins. The book is basically about what it takes to make a company great and not just good. A lot of the principles strongly apply to really any leader but in the book they specifically target large businesses and the leaders that run them. These successful leaders ares known as level 5 leaders and the main characteristics of these men are a sense of humility and fierce resolve. This is extremely intriguing to me and plays off of what our brotherhood is all about. We have a group of men who are in a position where they are made to be humble with total authenticity and a sense of fierce resolve to live a life that is pleasing and honoring to God.

It makes me really think about who besides Jesus carried the characteristics of a level 5 leader. I thought about king david

2 Samuel 5:17-25 (NIV)
When the Philistines heard that David had been anointed king over Israel, they went up in full force to search for him, but David heard about it and went down to the stronghold. [18] Now the Philistines had come and spread out in the Valley of Rephaim; [19] so David inquired of the Lord, \”Shall I go and attack the Philistines? Will you hand them over to me?\” The Lord answered him, \”Go, for I will surely hand the Philistines over to you.\” [20] So David went to Baal Perazim, and there he defeated them. He said, \”As waters break out, the Lord has broken out against my enemies before me.\” So that place was called Baal Perazim. [21] The Philistines abandoned their idols there, and David and his men carried them off. [22] Once more the Philistines came up and spread out in the Valley of Rephaim; [23] so David inquired of the Lord, and he answered, \”Do not go straight up, but circle around behind them and attack them in front of the balsam trees. [24] As soon as you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the balsam trees, move quickly, because that will mean the Lord has gone out in front of you to strike the Philistine army.\” [25] So David did as the Lord commanded him, and he struck down the Philistines all the way from Gibeon to Gezer.

I am sure that there are some other really good passages and leaders in the bible that really exemplify the type of leader that I want to become but this is really what i flipped to when searching david\’s life. I feel as though in this moment in David\’s life he really portrayed the characteristics of a level 5 leader. His humility came when before each of these battles he asked God is this was a battle that they were going to win and if God was going to be with them. It really task humility to ask for help. To get wisdom from someone else. Many times do I struggle with attempting to conquer the enemy on my own. I feel as though a lot of men these days lack this humility to put there ego (my ego) aside to ask for help or advice. It gives an appearance of weakness. Men don\’t like that.

Secondly, when you have the confidence of knowing that you cannot be defeated or that nothing can stop you, you gain this sense of fierce resolve. Like no matter what you will succeed. No obstacle is too big or challenge is to great for you to succeed. You have this over whelming drive. Could you imagine living back when David did and speaking directly to God. Could you imagine going to war with the confidence that no matter what you do victory is yours. I don\’t know about anyone else but that would give me some serious drive.

We have that. whether or not i choose to live that way or not. I have that. I have the promise from God that he is with me. That he will never forsake me, leave me, abandon me. I will always win in the end no matter what. I don\’t know why I struggle with failure so much when I have so many accounts of his goodness to read and listen to. I want humility. I want fierce resolve. There is nothing that anyone can do to stop what God has planned for me. I daily continue to see it unfold!
thanks for the giddy-up from my fellow brother to get another post up. I hope to make it more regular and keep pouring out what I have been learning. New member to the group and we have started reading proverbs again. Praise God for what he is doing in the lives of the brothas!

– Rambo