A leader who sees what others can’t
For at that time they came to David day by day to help him, until it was a great army, like the army of God. ~ 1 Chronicles 12:22
What if some of the people God sends into your life don’t look anything like the people you would have chosen? What if the very people you might overlook, avoid, or even question are the ones God wants to use to accomplish something extraordinary? We often think great leaders are surrounded by great people, but what if great leaders are the ones who recognize greatness in people before anyone else can see it?
There is something fascinating about the beginning of David’s leadership journey that we sometimes overlook. Before David had a mighty army, he had a cave full of hurting people! First Samuel 22:2 tells us that those who gathered to David were distressed, in debt, and bitter in soul. Think about that for a moment. These weren’t necessarily the strongest, most successful, or most emotionally stable people in the community. They were people who had problems, disappointments, financial burdens, and probably a few things they needed to work through. In today’s language, David’s first leadership team might not have looked very impressive on paper. If someone had been responsible for recruiting them, the interview process might have raised a few concerns!
Yet David didn’t just see their current circumstances. He saw people who needed a cause and also saw what they could become. As we move into today’s scripture reading, we discover that the men who gathered around David became mighty warriors, skilled in battle, loyal, courageous, and committed to helping establish his kingdom. Verse 22 tells us that they continued coming day by day until David had a great army. What began with a gathering of broken and burdened people became a powerful army.
This is such an important lesson about leadership in God’s Kingdom. Leadership isn’t simply about finding talented people who can help us accomplish a vision. It’s about recognizing the potential God has placed in people, helping them discover their purpose, and creating an environment where they can grow into everything God has called them to be. Whether we’re leading a ministry, raising children, managing a team, serving in our workplace, or simply influencing the people God has placed around us, we have an opportunity to bring out the best in others.
Here are three important leadership lessons we can learn from David’s example.
1. Great leaders see potential where others see problems.
When the distressed, indebted, and bitter in soul gathered to David, he had an opportunity to see them through the lens of their problems or the lens of their potential. He could’ve decided they were too much trouble, too emotionally exhausted, or too complicated to be useful. Instead, he allowed them to become part of what God was building.
This doesn’t mean David ignored their struggles or that their problems magically disappeared when they walked into the cave. It means their circumstances didn’t have to become the defining story of their lives. They weren’t destined to remain distressed, indebted, or bitter. God could take people who were struggling and develop them into people who would make a difference.
I think this is one of the most important things we can learn as leaders. It’s easy to identify what someone isn’t doing well. We can quickly recognize someone’s lack of experience, confidence, organization, or ability. But can we see beyond their current limitations and recognize what God might be developing in them?
Sometimes the person who seems inexperienced simply needs someone willing to teach them. The person who lacks confidence might need someone to believe in them before they learn to believe in themselves. The person who seems difficult might be carrying a burden nobody knows about. Instead of immediately labeling someone by their behavior, great leaders take time to discover what’s happening beneath the surface.
Think about how this applies to your everyday life. Maybe you’re leading a team at work and have someone who doesn’t seem to catch on as quickly as everyone else. Instead of becoming frustrated, take time to discover their strengths and give them an opportunity to grow. Maybe you’re serving in ministry and someone approaches you who seems discouraged or overwhelmed. Rather than assuming they’re not ready to serve, perhaps they first need encouragement, prayer, and someone willing to walk alongside them.
For parents, this is especially important. Our children aren’t finished products! We need to be aware not to define them by their current struggles, mistakes, or seasons of immaturity. They need us to see the person God is developing, not just the behavior we’re trying to correct. Sometimes the greatest gift we can give someone is the confidence that their current circumstances don’t have to determine their future.
2. Great leaders develop people, they don’t just use them.
One thing that stands out in this passage is that David’s army didn’t appear all at once. Verse 22 says they came to him day by day. That little phrase is important. It tells us that something was happening over time. People were gathering, growing, developing, and becoming part of something much bigger than themselves.
David wasn’t simply collecting bodies to fill the ranks of an army. He was leading people who would eventually become mighty warriors. As the chapter continues, we read about men who were skilled with bows, men who could handle shields and spears, men who understood battle strategy, and men who knew how to work together. They each brought different abilities and strengths to the table.
What a picture of leadership! David didn’t need everyone to have the same ability. He needed everyone to understand the value of what they brought and how they could contribute to the greater purpose. He invested his time and energy into caring and training those who gathered around him, helping them discover their strengths and develop their abilities. He didn’t see their past struggles as a reason to disqualify them. Instead, he recognized what God could do through their lives when they were given purpose, direction, and someone willing to believe in them. That’s what great leadership does. It doesn’t just build a following, it builds people. It sees potential where others might see problems and calls out what God has placed inside someone. The goal isn’t to make everyone look like the leader. It’s to help everyone become who God created them to be and find their place and do their part in what God is doing.
Sometimes we make the mistake of wanting people to lead exactly like we do, serve exactly like we do, or approach responsibilities exactly like we would. But God didn’t create everyone with the same personality, gifting, or ability. One person might be great at organizing, another at encouraging, another at teaching, and someone else might have a gift for seeing details that everyone else misses. Thank goodness for that person who notices the details! Some of us would show up to an event with half the supplies and a whole lot of enthusiasm.
As leaders, we need to become intentional about developing the gifts in others. That means giving people opportunities to try something new, allowing them to make mistakes, offering helpful instruction, and celebrating progress along the way. It means being willing to share responsibility instead of feeling like we have to do everything ourselves.
Perhaps you’re leading a ministry and have someone who has been faithfully serving but hasn’t yet stepped into leadership. Instead of keeping them in the same position because they’re dependable, consider giving them an opportunity to lead a project or train someone else. Maybe you’re managing a project, a business, or a team, and you have someone who has a gift for connecting with people. Give them opportunities to use that strength. Don’t just tell people they’re valuable, help them discover how valuable they really are.
One of the greatest accomplishments of a leader isn’t what they can do themselves. It’s what they develop in others. A healthy leader isn’t threatened when someone else grows, becomes more capable, or even surpasses them in an area of gifting. They celebrate it! After all, we’re not competing with the people we’re called to lead. We’re helping them become everything God created them to be.
3. Great leaders create unity around a greater purpose.
One of the most beautiful things in this chapter is found in verse 38. It describes the men of war who came to David with a perfect heart to make him king over all Israel. The Scripture tells us they came with one purpose, with an undivided heart. They weren’t just a collection of talented individuals. They were people who had become united around a common purpose.
That’s a powerful distinction. You can have a room full of talented people and still not have a team. You can have people with great abilities, wonderful ideas, and plenty of experience, but if everyone is working toward their own agenda, very little gets accomplished. Unity happens when people understand that what they’re part of is bigger than themselves.
David’s men weren’t all the same. They came from different tribes, backgrounds, and experiences. They had different skills and abilities, but they were united in their commitment to establish the kingdom. Their individual strengths became more powerful when they were working together.
This is something we desperately need in today’s world. We live in a culture that often celebrates individual recognition, personal platforms, and being noticed. But God’s Kingdom operates differently. We’re called to serve one another, encourage one another, carry one another’s burdens, and use our gifts to build up the body of Christ.
As leaders, we have a responsibility to continually remind people why what they’re doing matters. It’s easy to lose sight of the bigger picture when we’re caught up in the everyday responsibilities. The person setting up chairs, answering phones, organizing supplies, greeting guests, or serving behind the scenes might not always see how their contribution makes a difference. But when we help people understand the purpose behind what they’re doing, even the smallest assignment becomes meaningful.
Maybe you’re leading a group of volunteers and you’re noticing that people are becoming tired or disconnected. Instead of focusing only on filling schedules and getting tasks completed, take time to remind them why they serve. Share stories of lives being changed. Celebrate the little victories. Let people know that what they’re doing matters.
This also applies in our homes. Families function best when everyone understands that they’re part of something bigger than themselves. It’s not just about getting everyone where they need to go, keeping the house clean, or figuring out what’s for dinner for the hundredth time this week! It’s about building a home where people are loved, encouraged, supported, and pointed toward Jesus. When we create a shared purpose, we help those around us understand that they have a meaningful part to play.
Today I want to encourage you to become the kind of leader who brings out the best in others. You don’t have to have the biggest title, the most experience, or all the answers to make a difference in someone’s life. You simply need to be willing to see people the way God sees them. Don’t let someone’s current struggle determine how you value their future. Don’t become so focused on accomplishing the assignment that you forget about developing the people God has entrusted to you. Most of all, don’t underestimate what can happen when people with different gifts, backgrounds, and abilities come together with one heart and one purpose.
Remember, David’s mighty army didn’t begin with mighty men. It began with distressed, indebted, and bitter people who needed a leader willing to see beyond where they were. Over time, they became a force to be reckoned with. What a reminder that God doesn’t just call people who are already equipped. He equips people as they answer His call. So keep encouraging, keep developing, keep believing in people, and keep making room for others to grow. The greatest evidence of your leadership might not be what you accomplish, but the people who become stronger, more confident, and more effective because you took the time to bring out the best in them. Who knows? The person sitting in your cave today might become one of God’s mighty men or women tomorrow!
Today’s scripture reading: 1 Chronicles 12
1 Now these were the men who came to David at Ziklag while he was still a fugitive from Saul the son of Kish; and they were among the mighty men, helpers in the war,
2 armed with bows, using both the right hand and the left in hurling stones and shooting arrows with the bow. They were of Benjamin, Saul’s brethren.
3 The chief was Ahiezer, then Joash, the sons of Shemaah the Gibeathite; Jeziel and Pelet the sons of Azmaveth; Berachah, and Jehu the Anathothite;
4 Ishmaiah the Gibeonite, a mighty man among the thirty, and over the thirty; Jeremiah, Jahaziel, Johanan, and Jozabad the Gederathite;
5 Eluzai, Jerimoth, Bealiah, Shemariah, and Shephatiah the Haruphite;
6 Elkanah, Jisshiah, Azarel, Joezer, and Jashobeam, the Korahites;
7 and Joelah and Zebadiah the sons of Jeroham of Gedor.
8 Some Gadites joined David at the stronghold in the wilderness, mighty men of valor, men trained for battle, who could handle shield and spear, whose faces were like the faces of lions, and were as swift as gazelles on the mountains:
9 Ezer the first, Obadiah the second, Eliab the third,
10 Mishmannah the fourth, Jeremiah the fifth,
11 Attai the sixth, Eliel the seventh,
12 Johanan the eighth, Elzabad the ninth,
13 Jeremiah the tenth, and Machbanai the eleventh.
14 These were from the sons of Gad, captains of the army; the least was over a hundred, and the greatest was over a thousand.
15 These are the ones who crossed the Jordan in the first month, when it had overflowed all its banks; and they put to flight all those in the valleys, to the east and to the west.
16 Then some of the sons of Benjamin and Judah came to David at the stronghold.
17 And David went out to meet them, and answered and said to them, “If you have come peaceably to me to help me, my heart will be united with you; but if to betray me to my enemies, since there is no wrong in my hands, may the God of our fathers look and bring judgment.”
18 Then the Spirit came upon Amasai, chief of the captains, and he said: “We are yours, O David; We are on your side, O son of Jesse! Peace, peace to you, and peace to your helpers! For your God helps you.”
So David received them, and made them captains of the troop.
19 And some from Manasseh defected to David when he was going with the Philistines to battle against Saul; but they did not help them, for the lords of the Philistines sent him away by agreement, saying, “He may defect to his master Saul and endanger our heads.”
20 When he went to Ziklag, those of Manasseh who defected to him were Adnah, Jozabad, Jediael, Michael, Jozabad, Elihu, and Zillethai, captains of the thousands who were from Manasseh.
21 And they helped David against the bands of raiders, for they were all mighty men of valor, and they were captains in the army.
22 For at that time they came to David day by day to help him, until it was a great army, like the army of God.
23 Now these were the numbers of the divisions that were equipped for war, and came to David at Hebron to turn over the kingdom of Saul to him, according to the word of the Lord:
24 of the sons of Judah bearing shield and spear, six thousand eight hundred armed for war;
25 of the sons of Simeon, mighty men of valor fit for war, seven thousand one hundred;
26 of the sons of Levi four thousand six hundred;
27 Jehoiada, the leader of the Aaronites, and with him three thousand seven hundred;
28 Zadok, a young man, a valiant warrior, and from his father’s house twenty-two captains;
29 of the sons of Benjamin, relatives of Saul, three thousand (until then the greatest part of them had remained loyal to the house of Saul);
30 of the sons of Ephraim twenty thousand eight hundred, mighty men of valor, famous men throughout their father’s house;
31 of the half-tribe of Manasseh eighteen thousand, who were designated by name to come and make David king;
32 of the sons of Issachar who had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do, their chiefs were two hundred; and all their brethren were at their command;
33 of Zebulun there were fifty thousand who went out to battle, expert in war with all weapons of war, stouthearted men who could keep ranks;
34 of Naphtali one thousand captains, and with them thirty-seven thousand with shield and spear;
35 of the Danites who could keep battle formation, twenty-eight thousand six hundred;
36 of Asher, those who could go out to war, able to keep battle formation, forty thousand;
37 of the Reubenites and the Gadites and the half-tribe of Manasseh, from the other side of the Jordan, one hundred and twenty thousand armed for battle with every kind of weapon of war.
38 All these men of war, who could keep ranks, came to Hebron with a loyal heart, to make David king over all Israel; and all the rest of Israel were of one mind to make David king.
39 And they were there with David three days, eating and drinking, for their brethren had prepared for them.
40 Moreover those who were near to them, from as far away as Issachar and Zebulun and Naphtali, were bringing food on donkeys and camels, on mules and oxen—provisions of flour and cakes of figs and cakes of raisins, wine and oil and oxen and sheep abundantly, for there was joy in Israel.
Journal:
- When I look at the people God has placed in my life, do I tend to see their current struggles or their God given potential? Is there someone I’ve been quick to judge whom I need to take time to understand
- Who has God placed in my life that I could intentionally encourage, develop, or help grow in their gifts? What is one practical thing I can do this week to help them take their next step?
- Am I more focused on getting things done myself or developing others who can help carry the responsibility? What might I need to release or delegate so someone else has room to grow?
- Do the people I lead understand the greater purpose behind what they’re doing? How can I help them see that their contributions matter, even when they’re serving behind the scenes?
- If someone became a stronger leader, more confident in their gifts, and more effective in their calling because of my influence, what would that look like? What kind of leader do I want to become?
