Politicians. Pro Athletes. Pastors. Celebrities. Everyday People.
No one plans on blowing up their life. Slow leaks come. The integrity gap widens and one day the house of cards tumbles. It can happen to anyone. The capacity for self deception by human beings is enormous.
Let’s take King Saul as a case study in 1 Samuel 15. These were the days the people wanted a King. This King started well. Achievements. Handsome. Emotionally Expressive. Popular. Successful.
Eventually slippage kicked in and picked up speed. Trauma and interior renovations went unaddressed. God’s voice was demoted and the heart grew cold.
God told Saul to attack the violent Amalekites and destroy everything. Everything. Take no prisoners nor spoils. This was a justice mission not imperialism or recapitalization. Yet Saul spared the King and the best livestock in a power and wealth grab of utter disobedience.
Saul wanted to celebrate his perceived victory and worship with the prophet Samuel. He was oblivious to his ego and self deception. When the prophet called him on it, Saul rationalized everything. First, he blamed the soldiers for the spoils of sheep. Second, he spun his disobedience with pious sounding rationalizations claiming he wanted to sacrifice the sheep to the Lord. Third, he minimized his sin. Fourth, he put up a monument to himself to declare his greatness. Fifth, he didn’t want feedback. No accountability.
What was going on? Saul had a gapping internal problem that created destructive cycles that undermined his leadership. He was hypersensitive to rejection and needed to please the crowd which led to desperate attempts to control narratives culminating in madness and isolation. The King was so gifted yet compensated for his feelings of inadequacy that led to seriously hurting his family, government and nation. God was grieved with Saul and took his anointing away.
Before being too critical of Saul, we too need to remember starting strong does not guarantee finishing strong. Inner character builds strong businesses, families and nations. Will we choose pride or humility? Truth or deception? Connection or isolation? Surrender or self-sufficiency?
Books by Dr. Michael Sprague
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