David responded as a servant leader while Absalom dealt with sin as a subversive* leader. And the outcomes could not be more distinct. David, in spite of his sin, is known as a “man after God’s own heart.” Absalom paid for his sin with his life. What can servant leaders learn about sin from the lives of David and Absalom?

David declared his sin; Absalom denied sin. David initially tried to cover his sin, attempting to make it look like Bathsheba’s pregnancy was from her husband. Then he had her husband killed. But when the prophet Nathan came to confront David, he quickly acknowledged, “I have sinned against the Lord” (2 Samuel 12:13). In his psalm of confession, David says, “For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me. Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight; so you are right in your verdict and justified when you judge” (Psalm 51:3-4). David recognized that he sinned not only against the people involved but against God.

In contrast, Absalom, after murdering his brother, says to Joab: “Now then, I want to see the king’s face, and if I am guilty of anything, let him put me to death” (2 Samuel 14:32b, emphasis mine). David sinned in secret, but repented openly and cried out to God for forgiveness. Absalom sinned openly but refused to repent. He never acknowledged his sin to God or his father.

All leaders are tempted, like Absalom, to cover their sin. Hiding sin is a natural response and it is easy to conclude that confession will damage our leadership. David demonstrates a better way. Servant leaders acknowledge their sin quickly and openly; subversive leaders cover their sin.

David allowed sin to shape his character; Absalom used sin to shape his leadership. David repented of his sin and said, “Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. ¹¹ Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. ¹² Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me” (Psalm 51:10-12). David sinned in a moment of passion, but as he repented his character was shaped by God. The experience of God’s grace made David even more effective as a leader.

In contrast, Absalom deliberately sinned to advance his leadership, by sleeping on the rooftop with his father’s wives. (See 2 Samuel 16:21-22.) He used sin to gain more followers! Absalom had no regard for character; he only desired to be the king. Leadership was his goal, not integrity.

Some leaders, like Absalom, base decisions not on what is right or wrong but on what will advance their leadership. They are willing to compromise integrity for short term gain. Servant leaders allow sin to shape their character; subversive leaders use sin to shape their leadership.

David’s response to sin made him better; Absalom’s response made him bitter. David’s life was shaped by his sin and he drew closer to God as a result. He also promised God that after forgiveness he would, “teach transgressors your ways” (Psalm 51:13). Servant leaders repent of sin and allow their mistakes to make them better. They draw closer to God and experience His grace and forgiveness. As they do, they share what they learned with those who follow. They become more compassionate with those they lead as they recognize their own failings and are able to extend grace to others who sin.

Absalom’s response to sin only drove him to a life of bitterness, revenge, and rebellion. His initial sin of murder and denial of guilt led to rebellion, then sexual immorality, and a life of broken family relationships.

The difference between leaders is not in how we sin but in how we respond to sin. Servant leaders accept God’s grace and allow their sin to make them better; subversive leaders allow sin to make them bitter.

Our response to our own sin will shape our leadership. Servant leaders acknowledge sin and allow God to use it to shape their character and make them better leaders. Do you follow David’s example or Absalom’s?

Until next time, yours on the journey,

Jon Byler

*Subversive means to seek to undermine or destroy an established system. A leader who is subversive intends to overthrow the established authority to take power for themselves.

For further reflection and discussion:

• Read Psalm 51 to reflect on how David responded to his sin. What is God speaking to me through this chapter?
• How has my own sin changed the way I lead?
• In what areas am I most tempted to make leadership my goal instead of integrity?
• Are there currently hidden sins in my own life which need to be confessed?
• What specific step is God asking me to do in response to this reflection?

Copyright, Global Disciples 2018.

Moses is a great example of a servant leader, but he wasn’t perfect! Numbers 20 records the story of the sin that would keep Moses out of the Promised Land. The people are thirsty and blame Moses again. Moses cries out to God for direction and God instructs him to speak to the rock and promises that water would come out. Instead Moses spoke to the people in anger, “Listen, you rebels, must we bring water out of this rock?” Then he struck the rock twice and water came out. God immediately told him and Aaron that because of their sin they would not enter the land of promise. In a moment of anger, forty years of faithful leadership seems to disappear! Still, we can learn lessons from his failure. What he did not do goes against every natural response and serves as an example to all of us of how servant leaders deal with sin.

Moses did not blame the people.

The most natural response when I sin is to find someone else to blame! Certainly Moses had some legitimate reasons to blame the people, and all of us can sympathize with the way he called them rebels! They had again opposed his leadership and quarreled with him and Aaron. Most of us would have lost our temper and promptly blamed the people. But Moses recognized that the pressure of the moment simply revealed the sin in his heart. Servant leaders continually cry out to God for Him to deal with their hearts and refuse to blame family members, co-workers, associates, or followers for what they do in times of pressure.

Moses did not blame God.

Moses had just mourned the death of his sister Miriam and after this experience at the rock very quickly said farewell to his closest associate, Aaron. It was a rough month to lead, and I would find it easy to accuse God of overreacting! Moses could have argued that he had been blameless for years and surely one mistake wasn’t as serious as God judged it. But again, Moses demonstrates his brokenness and humility as he does not blame God for his judgment. I don’t find any record of Moses pleading with God to reverse His judgment; instead he humbly accepts what has happened. Moses, like all servant leaders, recognized that God was more interested in the condition of his heart than about saving his leadership credentials.

Moses did not cover up his sin.

When I sin, I quickly move to minimize the damage and ensure that as few as possible know about it. But Moses wrote the story just as it happened and we are still reading about it thousands of years later! His sin in this case was public as leaders sins’ often are. But there are other times when leaders’ sin is private and unknown to those they lead. One temptation all leaders face is to pretend in public to be better than we actually are in private. Servant leaders appropriately acknowledge both their sin and God’s gracious forgiveness.

Moses did not stop leading.

The final months of Moses leadership must have been incredibly difficult. Why not just step down? Yes, there are times when leaders sin and need to step down from their position. But most of the time God simply asks us to continue leading. Our enemy whispers that we are not worthy to continue, but God’s grace gives us strength to continue. Servant leaders who deal with their sin like Moses drink more deeply from God’s grace and more freely extend it to those they lead.

What a difference it would make in our world if we were leaders with a servant heart who respond to sin as Moses did. Can we respond without defensiveness and blame, allowing God to expose and purify our hearts, then continuing to serve those we lead with an even greater sense of God’s grace as long as He allows us to guide them?

The background reading for this issue is: Numbers 20; 27:12-17; Dt. 31:1-2; 32:48-52

For further reflection and discussion:

• What typically happens to me when I am under intense pressure in my leadership? Do I get angry, abusive, withdrawn, or bitter? What does this reveal about my heart?
• The last time I sinned, who was I tempted to blame?
• Are there times I have blamed God for my sin? What has been the result and what needs to change?
• How do I try to cover my sin? What has been the result of this? What is the right balance between being open about my sin and wisely not disclosing too many details to others? How does David’s observation in Ps. 32:5 provide instruction to all leaders about dealing with sin?
• Are there secret sins in my life that have the potential to sabotage my leadership? What is God calling me to do about them? (Reflect on 1 Timothy 5:24 and 1 Corinthians 10:12)