Leadership is an important quality. It is the ability to provide direction. Being a leader can be both an honor and a difficult role. The bible provides a multitude of notable leaders. Among these leaders is David. David who is also known as King David was the son of Jesse and Nitzevet and was born in Bethlehem. David was a musician and a shepherd that became well known for his acts in the bible. In the bible, David demonstrates acts of courage, humility, and grace. David was an excellent leader. David’s character traits are great examples of qualities that nurses should possess to be great leaders.
David was known for being courageous. The book of First Samuel reports the infamous story of David and Goliath. Goliath was a giant man that was killed by David. David killed Goliath during a war between the Israelites and Philistines. Because Saul and his army were terrified to face Goliath, David showed an interest in fighting Goliath. Even though Goliath was over nine feet tall, David stood up to him. David had a feeling that God would guide him in the fight with Goliath. David had a strong faith that helped him to be able to conquer Goliath. According to Got Questions Ministries, due to previous experiences with God’s grace, David formed faith in the Lord (“What Should We Learn,” 2019). David’s act of courage shows that anyone can be willing to face any challenge that may be frightening or perceived as difficult.
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In addition to demonstrating a courageous character, David also showed humility. David showed humility by showing kindness to Saul who was his enemy. When David saw Saul in a cave, he had the opportunity to kill him but he didn’t. David was even pressured to kill Saul by members of his crew. Even though Saul was looking for David to harm him, David wanted to do what he felt was righteous. David snuck up on Saul and his crew at the cave while they were asleep. As David spared Saul’s life, Saul left the cave. David then went after Saul and told Saul that he will not be harmed. David did not want to kill Saul because he felt that it was not up to him to take control of the situation. David carefully thought about the best way to react in regards to him and Saul being in the same place at the same time. Sometimes people can encounter persons that are not nice. In nursing, it is possible to face ungrateful or rowdy patients. Nurses must be able to control their emotions and handle situations appropriately. In the book of First Samuel, David demonstrates humility and grace by sparing Saul’s life. This shows that if people encounter mean persons, he or she should think about their reaction and show humility even though it may be difficult.
In addition to David’s encounter with Saul, David also showed humility by owning up to his transgressions. The book of Second Samuel reports that one day David was on the roof of a palace and saw a woman by the name of Bathsheba bathing. He sent messengers to her and slept with her even though she was married to Uriah the Hittite. The woman eventually became pregnant. David aimed to have Uriah the Hittite killed so that it would not be known that the unborn baby was his. Eventually, Uriah the Hittite was killed and Bathsheba mourned him. Although Bathsheba became David’s wife after the death of Uriah the Hittite, David knew that what he did was wrong. David admitted that he had sinned against the Lord and accepted responsibility.
David was known to be a forgivable person and repented when it was needed. He forgave people that did him wrong even though this can be difficult to do. According to Ligonier Ministries:
- David knew how to forgive, and he knew how to repent, too. He never blamed others for his mistakes. He did not make excuses based on family history, peer pressure, or the demands of leadership. He did not use passive language, referring to his sin as dysfunction or a growth edge. He did not lament over his sins simply because of the negative effects they could have on his kingdom and his relationships. (DeYoung, 2015)
- By David admitting his wrongdoings and accepting responsibility, it shows that nurses can be great leaders by being humble and accepting responsibility as the role of a nurse.
- On the other hand, David was compassionate. He showed compassion when Saul was killed. He showed compassion even though Saul saw David as an enemy. David showed compassion to Saul’s grandson Mephibosheth. After Saul and his son Jonathan were killed in a battle, David was looking to show kindness to Saul’s family. Mephibosheth met with David and David expressed that he will be kind to him. According to Richard Ezell:
- David said, “‘Don't be afraid,’ David said to him, ‘since I intend to show you kindness because of your father Jonathan. I will restore to you all your grandfather Saul's fields, and you will always eat meals at my table’' (2 Sam. 9:7). David’s words were not just a token gesture; they were extravagant - symbolic of his love for Jonathan. His words were an act of grace - symbolic of God’s love for David. (Ezell, 2014)
- David showed acceptance to Mephibosheth. He was a man that could not do much for himself. He was crippled and considered an outcast. Just as David was accepting of Saul’s family members, a nurse should be accepting of everyone. Nurses can be great leaders like David was by respecting everyone regardless of who they are or their appearance. Nurses should also be willing to serve with a compassionate heart. David had put aside any feeling of animosity toward Saul and did not treat Saul’s family members terribly even though Saul was not nice to him. David did not have to be sensitive toward Saul’s grandson but he did anyway. This teaches that people should be willing to do what is right even if nothing will be gained from doing it or it may go unnoticed.
In addition to being compassionate, David was qualified to be a great leader because he was a man after God’s own heart. When looking to appoint a new king of Israel, Jesus was most concerned about the person’s heart rather than appearance. Before David became king, the Lord sent Samuel to anoint a new king. A man by the name of Jessie showed off David’s siblings to Samuel. However, none of David’s siblings were God’s anointed. Initially, David was not expected to be God’s anointed. Due to this, according to Loving Grace Ministries, David was left in a field tending sheep as Jessie was showing off David’s siblings (“Man Looks At,” 2017).
Saul failed at being a king because he was not submissive to God’s authority. God wanted a person that will submit to him and had a good heart. David was not perfect but had the qualities the Lord was looking for in a leader. Due to this, David became king. As the Lord calls people to go into nursing, the Lord wants these people to have the qualities of a great leader. Nurses should aim to understand the importance of having a heart that is good and submissive to do what God calls them to do.
If nurses aim to be like David, it would have a great impact on the world and the nursing profession. For example, nurses with great leadership qualities like David can be an example to future nurses and other nurses such as co-workers. Nurses can be great leaders by advocating for their patients and treating patients the way that they would want to be treated. Just as David was humble enough to aim to be a great server to Jesus, nurses should aim to humble themselves to be great servers to their patients and the nursing profession.
In conclusion, there are many great leaders in the bible who nurses can learn from. These leaders include David. David’s examples of leadership are great demonstrations for nurses and future nurses. David’s leadership abilities show nurses the importance of being humble, compassionate, and courageous. These characteristics allow nurses to be the best nurse possible. This is because being a nurse is about a passion for caring for people. To be a great leader like David, nurses should aim to practice having the qualities that David had, effectively manage emotions, and having a sense of integrity.
References
- DeYoung, K. (2015, January 14). What Made David Great? Retrieved July 22, 2019, from https://www.ligonier.org/blog/what-made-david-great/
- Ezell, R. (2014, January 1). Sermon - The Unexpected Response - 2 Samuel 9. Retrieved July 24, 2019, from https://www.lifeway.com/en/articles/sermon-unexpected-response-kindness-david-mephibosheth-2-samuel-9
- Man Looks At The Outward Appearance, But The Lord Looks At The Heart. (2017, October 4). Retrieved July 23, 2019, from https://www.lovinggrace.org/single-post/2017/10/04/Man-Looks-At-The-Outward-Appearance-But-The-Lord-Looks-At-The-Heart
- What should we learn from the account of David and Goliath? (2019, February 14). Retrieved July 23, 2019, from https://www.gotquestions.org/David-and-Goliath.html
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