Building Monuments

So when Samuel rose early in the morning to meet Saul, it was told Samuel, saying, “Saul went to Carmel, and indeed, he set up a monument for himself; and he has gone on around, passed by, and gone down to Gilgal.” 1 Samuel 15:12 (NKJV)

1 Samuel 15 is a tragic chapter in the life of King Saul. He failed to completely obey the command of the Lord and was rejected from being king in Israel. To make matters worse, before being confronted by Samuel, Saul takes the time to “set up a monument for himself.” Imagine! He failed royally but congratulated himself on his achievement. Was he delusional or just trying to make himself feel better?

As I’ve been preaching through Saul’s life, I have found a lot of leadership lessons. Sadly, the majority of them come from a negative place. They serve as warnings as to what NOT to do. This one is no different.

Leaders (and preachers) must remain vigilant against building monuments to themselves. When we let our guard down, it’s easy to begin to think what a great job we’ve done, how talented we are, and what a difference we’ve made. While all that may be true, the Bible is clear that we should let another honor us rather than ourselves (Proverbs 27:2). When we begin to think that way about ourselves, warning bells should be going off in our minds!

We serve for the praise and honor of One only - King Jesus. And He reminds us of a truth that we would do well to hide in our hearts:

Luke 17:10 (NKJV) So likewise you, when you have done all those things which you are commanded, say, ‘We are unprofitable servants. We have done what was our duty to do.’ ”

How’s that for a reality check?!

Rather than building monuments, let’s stay on mission and point others to Jesus.