Traits of a True Leader
By Mike Taylor
“This day will the LORD deliver thee into mine hand; and I will smite thee, and take thine head from thee; and I will give the carcasses of the host of the Philistines this day unto the fowls of the air, and to the wild beasts of the earth; that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel” (1 Samuel 17:46).
Who is the epitome
of the natural born
leader, apart from
our Lord and Savior,
Jesus Christ, that
is found in your
Bible? Of all the
heroes of the Bible,
and there are many,
there stands no
greater man who was
a leader of men,
than David. You
don’t need to say,
King David, because
any reader and
researcher of the
truths of the Bible
will instantly know
who you are talking
about, when you say
the name “David.”
The name
David is found over
1000 times in the
Bible and from my
research, there is
no other person in
the Bible called
David. So his name
is unique in that
sense. Why was David
a natural born
leader? In this
message, I want to
take a brief look,
for lack of space
and time, at this
leader of Israel and
what it takes to be
a leader as
personified by this
historical legend
found in God’s Word.
I want to examine
and compare what
David was gifted
with and compare it
to our modern time
of “leaders” that
have been given the
authority by mutual
consent to lead us
in these last days.
Are they leaders, or
just straw men?
(That we have to
decide.)
David and
Goliath
You will find the
account of being
introduced to a
young shepherd boy
called, David in 1st
Samuel. As you read,
the Bible speaks of
Samuel seeking out a
replacement for King
Saul as commanded by
God. You read of his
anointing to be
king, as God had
chosen him and led
Samuel to him. But
in the 17th chapter
of 1st Samuel, we
are given a riveting
story that all have
heard of, a small
boy against a giant
of a man, David
against Goliath─the
champion of the
warring nation of
Philistia. David had
gone to take food to
his older brothers
who were following
King Saul in his
army, and on that
day they were being
challenged by this
warrior of the
Philistines, called
Goliath and had been
for 40 straight
days. The Bible
describes him and
his armor and
obviously the man
was huge in
appearance and fear
fell upon the army
of Israel because of
him (1 Samuel
17:3-1).
Now David heard the
blasphemy coming
from this giant of a
man when he entered
the camp of Israel:
“And David left his
carriage in the hand
of the keeper of the
carriage, and ran
into the army, and
came and saluted his
brethren. And as he
talked with them,
behold, there came
up the champion, the
Philistine of Gath,
Goliath by name, out
of the armies of the
Philistines, and
spake according to
the same words: and
David heard them” (1
Samuel 17:22-23).
David inquired of
what was to be done
about this
uncircumcised
Philistine that
dared to challenge
the army of the
Living God by
blaspheming His name
and His army with
threats. This made
David’s brothers
angry with him, as
they considered
David haughty and
prideful. How dare
he come into the
camp of Israel and
make statements of
why he has not
anyone come up
against this pagan
warrior and not
taken him out? What
would be the reward
of one doing so, he
asked? His eldest
brother chided and
rebuked him because
of perceived
arrogance. After all
he was just a boy,
and who was he to
question the King’s
army over the
matter? When asked
by Saul when
presented to him as
being only a youth,
David proclaimed:
“Thy servant slew
both the lion and
the bear: and this
uncircumcised
Philistine shall be
as one of them,
seeing he hath
defied the armies of
the living God” (1
Samuel 17:36).
David was an uncomplicated man even at this young age. Men of reason, men of common sense, or men of an analytical mind would analyze this situation to death, instead of taking action. David was not arrogant or prideful, but was single minded...not simple minded. He knew who he was. David knew God had been with him when a lion and a bear had attacked his father’s sheep and David caught them and slew them. If you have ever wrestled with even with your dog, you know how strong a large dog is. How much more would it be to chase down a bear or a lion with a knife and kill them barehanded?
Difficult? Yes, but
that term never
entered David’s
mind, I’m sure, as
he relayed how God
had delivered him
from the paws of the
lion and the bear,
so who was this
Philistine by
comparison? What
David was not, was
double-minded. Men
who are single
minded, being sure
of themselves, and
know who they are,
these men are seen
as arrogant,
prideful, or cock
sure of themselves.
To many they appear
reckless. But James
speaks of this in
James chapter 1.5-8:
“If any of you lack
wisdom, let him ask
of God, that giveth
to all men
liberally, and
upbraideth not; and
it shall be given
him. But let him ask
in faith, nothing
wavering. For he
that wavereth is
like a wave of the
sea driven with the
wind and tossed. For
let not that man
think that he shall
receive any thing of
the Lord. A double
minded man is
unstable in all his
ways.”
David was not double
minded. He knew who
he was, as
mentioned, and he
was a man of action.
To some, this is
misunderstood, as
this type of single
mindedness, this
audacity, this
perceived
recklessness,
required something
David possessed.
That possession that
formed him into a
great leader...was
namely FAITH. David
had faith in God.
Faith in God
provides strength to
take on challenges
that other men would
turn away from.
Faith produces a
sense of audacity,
assuming authority
and envisions
victory. Read on in
this 1st book of
Samuel and the
interaction that
David and Goliath
had. Here Goliath
railed against David
for being just a
youth:
“And the Philistine
said unto David, Am
I a dog, that thou
comest to me with
staves? And the
Philistine cursed
David by his gods.
And the Philistine
said to David, Come
to me, and I will
give thy flesh unto
the fowls of the
air, and to the
beasts of the field”
(1 Samuel 17:43-44).
Notice David did not
shrink from these
threats, but ran to
meet the army of
this giant, to do
battle with him. On
the way, he stopped
to pick up five
smooth stones for
his sling. I have
often wondered if he
was sure of himself,
why did he pick up
five stones, instead
of just one? Even
David knew his
limitations, as he
could miss with the
first stone. Why be
unprepared for
battle? So he picked
up five stones,
instead of just one.
One thing a leader
does is that which
is required of him
and in doing so, a
leader is prepared.
A true leader knows
when it is time to
stop talking, stop
negotiating, and
knows when it is
time to draw blood.
A national leader
knows when to fight
and draw blood.
“So David prevailed
over the Philistine
with a sling and
with a stone, and
smote the
Philistine, and slew
him; but there was
no sword in the hand
of David. Therefore
David ran, and stood
upon the Philistine,
and took his sword,
and drew it out of
the sheath thereof,
and slew him, and
cut off his head
therewith. And when
the Philistines saw
their champion was
dead, they fled” (1
Samuel 17:50-51).
No one wants to take
another person’s
life, but in a
battle of nations
that leads to war
and freedom is at
stake, then a true
leader knows when to
shut up, and take
decisive action.
David was that
leader. Another
trait of a true
leader is a person
who handles himself
wisely. 1st Samuel
chapter 18, records
of David behaving
wisely before the
people when Saul
made him captain
over part of his
army and this trait
proved to unsettle
King Saul and the
king feared him:
“And Saul was afraid
of David, because
the LORD was with
him, and was
departed from Saul.
Therefore Saul
removed him from
him, and made him
his captain over a
thousand; and he
went out and came in
before the people.
And David behaved
himself wisely in
all his ways; and
the LORD was with
him. Wherefore when
Saul saw that he
behaved himself very
wisely, he was
afraid of him. But
all Israel and Judah
loved David, because
he went out and came
in before them” (1
Samuel 18:12-16).
So far we have
listed the
attributes of a true
leader. So let’s
recap up to this
point. A leader is
-Single minded, not
double minded:
-A man of faith.
-Realistic.
-Prepared.
-Authoritative.
-Assumes victory.
-Acts decisively and
quickly.
-Knows when to shed
blood or to kill.
-Manages behavior
wisely.
-Attains wisdom.
-He is a fighter.
WE NEED A DAVID!
There is an old
Texas law on the
books, (I’m not from
Texas, but there is
the law) that if a
person is drawn into
court from killing a
man, then a defense
for his action would
be to prove that the
person was so evil
and wicked, that the
person “just needed
killing.” In my
opinion, there are
some that are
unredeemable because
Satan is so
prevalent in their
minds and spirits. A
national leader
knows when it is
time to stop talking
and take action,
even if it leads to
the shedding of
blood. In WW II
during the invasion
of Normandy the
German’s were
unprepared for such
a maneuver, as it
was deemed reckless,
audacious, and
dangerous to anyone
who would try.
General Eisenhower
was that man who was
like David; single
minded, sure of
himself, and a man
of faith that saw
victory. A man like
this, like David or
like Eisenhower can
be seen as
intimidating,
because of their
perceived
recklessness, but
men like these have
something else that
goes along with
faith, perceived
recklessness, single
mindedness, and that
is they are
realistic in their
actions with being
prepared for battle.
One other thing that
a true leader has
and has not been
mentioned is:
LOVE THE GREATEST
ATTRIBUTE
I wondered about
what the Hebrew name
of David meant, so I
looked it up. The
meaning of the name
of David in Hebrew
is “beloved,
friend.” To be
beloved and a
friend, you have to
love and be a
friend. David was
full of love for his
countrymen. It is
written that
Jonathan and David
loved one another.
Not in the modern
term that men love
other men in a
homosexual way, but
a male bonding of
friends can be as
strong as any
relationship of
humankind. It is
written in 1st
Samuel of this bond
that David had with
Jonathan, King
Saul’s son.
“And it came to
pass, when he had
made an end of
speaking unto Saul,
that the soul of
Jonathan was knit
with the soul of
David, and Jonathan
loved him as his own
soul. And Saul took
him that day, and
would let him go no
more home to his
father’s house. Then
Jonathan and David
made a covenant,
because he loved him
as his own soul” (1
Samuel 18:1-3).
To love another
person, as you love
yourself, is a trait
of a true leader.
This is exemplified
when David was
running from Saul,
that he wished for a
drink of water from
the well at
Bethlehem.
“And David said with
longing, “Oh, that
someone would give
me a drink of the
water from the well
of Bethlehem, which
is by the gate!” So
the three mighty men
broke through the
camp of the
Philistines, drew
water from the well
of Bethlehem that
was by the gate, and
took it and brought
it to David.
Nevertheless he
would not drink it,
but poured it out to
the LORD. And he
said, "Far be it
from me, O LORD,
that I should do
this! Is this not
the blood of the men
who went in jeopardy
of their lives?”
Therefore he would
not drink it. These
things were done by
the three mighty
men” (2 Samuel
23:15-17).
These men loved
David so much, that
they battled their
way through the
Philistine line and
fetched David a
drink of the well
water at Bethlehem.
David would not
drink it. Why?
Because he loved
these men so much,
that he did not want
them to risk their
lives for him this
way. So he poured it
out, as a gesture of
wanting them to keep
themselves safe,
instead of risking
their very lives for
him like this. To
David, he loved
these men, as he did
Jonathan. A leader
has this, the
greatest trait of
leadership. A leader
loves his men, his
countrymen, and his
nation of citizens.
LOVES, DOESN’T
ASSUME POWER OVER
OTHERS
I said above that we
need another David
in these the end of
days on this earth.
Can we find another
David to lead us, or
is the concept lost
due to wickedness in
high places? In the
last fifty years we
have had weak
leaders, and we have
had strong leaders.
The former, I would
say would fit Jimmy
Carter. Although
raised Baptist, and
spoke of
Christianity, I feel
he was not a strong
leader in the
embodiment of a King
David. After him,
was a perceived
strong leader in the
presidency of Ronald
Reagan. Many times,
I heard the man
mentioning the God
of our Bible, and
make personal
statements of
personal faith of a
nation under God is
a strong nation.
Remember the
statement he made?
“If we ever forget
to be a nation under
God, then I fear we
will be a nation
gone under”. My
friends, no truer
words were ever
spoken. Our nation
has politically and
spiritually, through
our leaders that we
have so haphazardly
elected, have thrown
God under the bus,
so to speak. Since
President Reagan, we
have been on a
downhill slide,
either Democrat or
Republican, it makes
no difference, as
our leaders are a
reflection of our
national character.
Can we say that we
have a leader today
that loves his
countrymen, or just
assumes power over
the rest of us?
Some call the
present resident of
the White House,
“Liar in Chief”.
When I look at the
debauchery that
forms this man’s
leadership, do I see
a leader in the form
of David, king of
Israel with all the
attributes listed
above or do I see
other traits that
spell trouble for
our country?
“And I saw,
and behold a white
horse: and he that
sat on him had a
bow; and a crown was
given unto him: and
he went forth
conquering, and to
conquer” (Revelation
6:2).
Now I hesitate to
call this man in our
White House, the
opening of the 1st
seal...but the man
pictured here
conquers by a bow
without
arrows...meaning he
conquers by deceit
and pleasant words.
Has Barry resorted
to falsehoods and
outright lies to
attain rulership
over us? I listen to
B.O. (I hate to
mention his name),
and I hear eloquent
words that have no
substance. They
speak of one thing,
but do another, as
lying lips create a
false sense of
security and
cunningly hide the
reality of a
deception that will
bring loss and pain.
Though his voice
sounds gracious, the
liar is full of
countless
wickedness. He is
particularly wicked
by selling himself
as a benefactor
while intending to
do evil. I think
that describes this
“Liar in Chief” so
the title fits.
I point to the
deception of recent
reports of a
president who
borders on treason
with high crimes and
misdemeanors, lying
to the citizens of
the United States of
America. Cases in
point, and will list
only the most
grievous of his
lying words:
-Murder of four
Americans in
Benghazi (they all
knew).
-Wire tapping of
Americans through
the NSA.
-IRS targeting of
Americans for
political purposes.
-Failing to enforce
laws that he does
not like.
-Executive edicts
that circumvent the
legislative branch
and the separation
of powers.
-Unelected czars in
the administration,
violating the rule
of law.
-Giving aid and
comfort to our
national enemies.
-Failing to support
our allies and
giving foreign aid
to our adversaries.
-Full knowledge of
Americans loosing
their health
coverage over
Obamacare.
-Attempted
destruction of the
2nd Amendment.
-Murder of our
border agent in Fast
and Furious scandal.
-Gun running through
Libya to rebels in
Syria (Al-Qaeda).
I know I could go on
and on and list even
more, but you get
the idea.
I get many e-mails
asking me my take on
if this president is
the coming
Antichrist. My
answer is, “I don’t
know,” but I know
that he is anti-God,
no matter if he
mouths the words
“Christian” as it
means nothing to
him. He does have
some of the
attributes of the
man of lawlessness.
Evidence points that
this man is a closet
Muslim sympathizer,
as he was brought up
in that environment,
and a bi-sexual at
best, a homosexual
at worst, with a
family as a front. I
know the man came
out of no where, no
background, except
as a community
organizer and a
senator that voted
present more than he
voted and made wild
claims for “hope and
change”. My
question, how is
that “hope and
change” working out
for ya, when you got
your bill for
insurance on the
government health
exchange? Talk about
sticker shock! Or
maybe you lost your
health coverage. You
know, “The one if
you like it, you can
keep it” lie?
Now take a look at
my list of
attributes of a
great leader when
applied to David and
ask yourself, does
this man have any of
those attributes?
Let’s look.
-Single minded, not
double minded?
(Speaks out he both
sides of his mouth.)
-A man of faith
(which faith, which
God)?
-Realistic, (depends
on your point of
view).
-Prepared, (for the
next lie that
misleads the
population).
-Authoritative
(assumes powers not
delegated to him by
the constitution).
-Assumes victory (by
deceit and half
truths).
-Acts decisively and
quickly, (depends on
which way the wind
blows.)
-Knows when to shed
blood or to kill,
(stand up to Iran,
or Syria...? (A
waffler worse than
Clinton.)
-Manages behavior
wisely, (so many
stories of
impropriety, I’ve
lost count).
-Attains wisdom (I
wonder who is
pulling his
strings)?
-Is a fighter...(Oh,
they say they will
fight for you, but
what they mean, they
will argue for you,
placate you, slight
of hand behind your
back. Does that
describe just about
every politician in
office in DC today?
I believe it does.)
Pardon me if this
sounds like a hit
piece on the present
administration.
Biblically, this
POTUS fails the test
of a true leader. Is
it a sign of the
debauchery of our
national character?
Since we have not
stood up enmasse and
called for his
impeachment, then we
get what we deserve.
When our country was
faced with fascism
and Nazi-ism, we had
a leader, President
Eisenhower that
stood up for
American principles
and did what was
necessary to
preserve our
posterity. No, he
was not perfect, but
neither was David,
as he made many
mistakes, but
judging from the
attributes of this
man of the biblical
account, it is no
wonder that he was
described as a “man
after God’s own
heart”. Oh, how I
wish for a man like
that to rule and
reign.
I believe in the
near future, on the
course we are now
headed for at
breakneck speed, I
believe I will get
my heart’s desire in
the not so distant
future.
“And I saw heaven
opened, and behold a
white horse; and he
that sat upon him
was called Faithful
and True, and in
righteousness he
doth judge and make
war. And the armies
which were in heaven
followed him upon
white horses,
clothed in fine
linen, white and
clean. And out of
his mouth goeth a
sharp sword, that
with it he should
smite the nations:
and he shall rule
them with a rod of
iron: and he
treadeth the
winepress of the
fierceness and wrath
of Almighty God. And
he hath on his
vesture and on his
thigh a name
written, KING OF
KINGS, AND LORD OF
LORDS” (Revelation
19:11,14,15-16).
Then and only then,
will we have a True
and Righteous
Leader, that will
embody all the
attributes of a
leader...so come
Lord Jesus...we
await your
Kingdom...
Maranatha.
This is Pastor Mike
Taylor, praying for
your salvation and
the redemption of
your soul through
Jesus Christ. If
there is anything I
can pray with you
about, counsel you
with, or give you
more information
about this King of
Kings which I
profess, then drop
me a line even if
just to listen to
your concerns, to
realteam1999@sbcglobal.net
or visit me online
at
www.churchofgod-usa.org.
God bless you, till
we meet at Jesus’
feet.