"So David went out wherever Saul sent him, and behaved wisely. And Saul set him over the men of war, and he was accepted in the sight of all the people and also in the sight of Saul's servants." (1 Samuel 18:5 NKJ)

Of all the leaders in the Bible, the one that many Christians readily identify with is King David. What endears him to men, especially Full Gospel Businessmen, is that he exemplifies the qualities we long for. These include courage, leadership, skill, loyalty and humility. (The fact that he was handsome does not hurt as well.)

Here was a man who was capable of adrenaline-driven aggression one minute and the softest, most tender worship the next. Wielding a sword, he was dangerous and deadly. Plucking a harp, he could even soothe a demon-tormented soul. We, in the FGB, model our worship after him, with vibrant dancing, singing and musical accompaniments, but it is David's heart that all of us wish we had, a heart filled with deep unyielding love for God.

By today's standards, David "had arrived". Put in his shoes, weaker leaders may be tempted to abuse the enormous authority and trust placed in them. Yet, David did none of those things. Instead, the Scriptures record that he obediently "went wherever Saul sent him and behaved wisely" (verse 5). The NIV translation seems to do this verse injustice by rendering it: "Whatever Saul sent him to do, David did it so successfully that Saul gave him a high rank in the army."

Success, however, may not necessarily involve wisdom or 'sakal' in Hebrew. Sakal means prudence, circumspection and understanding while success is an outcome that might not necessarily involve any of these. David did not rise in rank and become accepted by peers and subordinates alike because he was successful, but because he behaved in a wise or sakal manner.

In today's thinking, this distinction is largely overlooked. So long as our business is good and we make a lot of money, who needs to be wise? Thus it is envisaged that as our FGB chapters grow and many unsaved accept the Lord, the leaders need greater prudence and understanding.

Therefore, the first basic thing we learn from King David is this: As leaders, we must seriously desire success, and as Christians, we must earnestly desire success that is the result of being sakal. This comes not only from knowing how to do our jobs well (as David did) but also from knowing Scripture and walking right with the Lord.

The second lesson to note is that acting in a sakal manner does not free us from serious setbacks like strong opposition and persecution. We notice, that for all David's wisdom, he was still the target of unjust anger and jealousy. King Saul wanted him dead. On occasions when things went wrong, his men threatened to rise up and overthrow him. In fact, his own son, Absalom, tried to have him overthrown and killed. Being a sakal leader does not necessarily mean more money in the bank or unanimous support from everyone but approval from God must be solicited and go hand in hand.

If someone tried to kill us even once, we might be tempted to stop and backslide. David had to escape from the end of Saul's spear on many occasions. Still, David remained staunchly loyal and behaved in an even more sakal manner. What was the result? The Bible says that the "Lord was with him" and, in one of Scripture's most delicious ironies, verse 15 notes that, "…when Saul saw that he (David) behaved very wisely, he was afraid of him." The third lesson: Stay the right course no matter what and you'll end up a winner.

Fourth, and importantly for FGB leaders, acting wisely does not imply that we are free from human shortcomings and failings. Certainly, David was not. Like most of us, he had a dark side. Volumes have been preached and written about his adultery with the stunning Bathsheba and also the cold-blooded murder of her husband Uriah. Nevertheless, he did not allow sin to win.

Fifth, being sakal means that we know the value and meaning of humility and sorrowful remorse. Despite all that David had done, long after he had died, God confirmed to Jeroboam that his grandfather had, "Kept My commandments and who followed Me with all his heart, to do only what was right in My eyes (1 Kings 14:8). Truly, his prayer to God to have his iniquities 'blotted out' and for a "clean heart" were answered. (Psalm 51:9-10). God, in His Mercy, honoured it because more than a thousand years later, the Son of David, our Messiah and Lord, would emerge.

Sixth, understanding that God is involved in every aspect of leadership, the good and the bad and that He is the Source of our strength, the Forgiver of our sins and the Restorer of our souls. This is the lesson that we need to learn about what it means to be sakal. Living exclusively for the approval of the public, our bosses and our peers is the pinnacle of human foolishness and folly.

All FGB men are leaders, if not of their regions, groups and chapters, then their families and businesses. We are not called by the Lord to be spectators, least of all in the FGBMF, because it is also impossible to be one. Let us therefore not appear to be merely successful leaders but as truly sakal leaders.