Falling Hard

Chapters 10-15 of 1 Samuel depict the gradual transition of a humble young King Saul into a pride-filled dictator that he himself would no longer recognize. We get enough of a glimpse to see the seemingly small choices that took him from dependent to defiant, from mercy filled to merciless, from being filled with the Holy Spirit to being tormented by an evil one. It was a slow process as the young and humble king started believing the headlines, taking matters into his own hands, and abusing the power he’d been given.

Unfortunately, it’s an all too familiar story. Over the past few years, we’ve seen way too many leaders fall to moral or ethical failures in the same way King Saul fell. Not one of them would have said, “Hey, I think I’ll faithfully serve in ministry for 25 or so years, then I’ll throw it all away for next to nothing.” Like King Saul, each one of them would instead probably admit that the little choices or lapses in character built into habits that grew into strongholds that shut down their capacity to hear the voice of the Spirit in their lives. It always starts small.

So what needs to be done to prevent a similar fate in our own lives? What keeps us standing? The Apostle Paul knew we’d have a hard time staying upright against an enemy that prowls about like a lion “seeking whom he may devour.” He warned the faithful in Corinth with these thoughts: “So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall! No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it” (1 Corinthians‬ ‭10:12-13‬).

When Saul was overtaken by temptations of greed and pride, he wanted to cover his disobedience through a religious ceremony. Samuel’s rebuke of this request simply reminds us all that, “To obey is better than sacrifice.” And when Jesus was asking what commands were most important to obey, he said to love God and love your neighbor as yourself. When I put those things all together, there’s a real connection between standing firm and loving God, people, and yourself.

The only way I’ve been able to stay standing through the years has been through the consistent practice of staying rooted through confession (loving God), staying grounded through worship (loving myself because God loves me), and staying connected through accountability (loving the people around me). There’s no where to fall when you’re already on your knees, looking up to heaven, surrounded by those who are fighting to stay standing with you.

Trust me, it’s way easier for us all to choose a night of Netflix over a night with your LifeGroup or an extra hour of sleep over an early breakfast with an accountability partner. That said, it’s always those little choices that lead good people to follow King Saul’s footsteps to no longer recognizing the person you never thought you’d become.