“Early in the morning Samuel got up and went to meet Saul, but he was told, “Saul has gone to Carmel. There he has set up a monument in his own honor and has turned and gone on down to Gilgal.” 1 Samuel 15:12
We can learn four significant lessons from the life of King Saul. His life resonates with us because we make the same mistakes. If we take these lessons to heart, we can change our lives and strip ourselves of the baggage holding us back from a better life.
One. The closer you are to God, the stricter He becomes.
If Saul wasn’t a king or close to God, he would not have suffered as much for his wrongdoings. In life, the more power or money we have, the more likely our sins get brushed under the rug. We see it all the time, wealthy and influential people getting away with crimes while people with little or no power suffer from the tiniest infractions. And the closer we are to people, the more likely we are to overlook their faults and give them a pass. We forgive our brother or sister for doing something we would never let a stranger get away with. The opposite is true for our relationship with God. The closer we are to God, the higher up we go, God is less forgiving of our transgressions and more critical. He might overlook a sin you commit as a deacon but rain fire from heaven if you commit that same sin as an elder or preacher. In other words, the more we evolve and grow as Christians, the more God examines us with a critical eye. Things we can get away with as a beginner Christian, we can’t get away with later on as an evolved Christian.
Two. Turn glory to God, not yourself.
Samuel goes to meet Saul after his battle, but Saul was too busy setting up a monument to honor himself. At every turn, he looks out for himself, taking every opportunity to put himself on a pedestal and have others revere him. He is so self-centered and afraid of looking bad, he begs Samuel not to tell the people of Israel his faults. He cries, “Please honor me before the elders of my people and before Israel.” When we achieve some level of success, we turn into Saul. We say, “It’s because I worked hard. It’s because I’m skilled. It’s all me!” We boast about our achievements. We gloat and make sure others respect and recognize us. We are busy setting up “monuments” to commemorate our achievements. Look at my house, my car, my family… Whatever success we have, we must turn glory to God.
Three. Don’t be the king of excuses.
Saul is the king of excuses. Samuel instructs Saul to attack the Amalekites and “totally destroy all that belongs to them. Do not spare them; put to death men and women, children and infants, cattle and sheep, camels and donkeys.” The orders are clear. Samuel questions Saul when he returns with King Agag and the best sheep and cattle. Saul starts making excuses. At first, it wasn’t him. It was the soldiers that did it. “The soldiers brought them from the Amalekites.” Then he says they “spared the best of the sheep and cattle to sacrifice to the Lord your God, but we totally destroyed the rest.” When Samuel presses him further, he changes tunes again and finally says, “I have sinned. I violated the Lord’s command and your instructions.” If you are making excuses for not doing what you know the Lord wants you to do, you are following in the footsteps of Saul. Stop making excuses for not doing the right things. Take responsibility and follow God’s command to the tee.
Four. Don’t get in the way of the gospel.
God seeks revenge against the Amalekites for the way they had harried Israel in the wilderness 400 years before. That’s how much God despises those who get in the way of the gospel. Whatever the nature of the work of the gospel in play, we must never be the one to get in the way or impede it in any manner. If there is a preacher in your church and you speak ill of him to someone who respects and learns from him and he stops receiving grace from that preacher, you are guilty of impeding the gospel. When we talk of others, it must be for the good of their salvation. If our counsel causes them to lose faith, we are guilty of impeding the gospel. We must be facilitators of the gospel. We must promote it and push the gospel forward.
Saul always did what was good for Saul. We see the results of his choices. The closer we get to God, the more attention we should pay to the tiniest of transgressions. Whatever success we achieve in life, turn glory to God. Don’t make everything about yourself. And when we don’t do what God wants, instead of making excuses at every turn, repent and do the right thing. Finally, never be the one who impedes the gospel or lessens the faith of others. Saul fell on his own sword at the end. We hope for a better end, and by giving heed to these lessons, we can avoid a lifetime of anguish and lead a happier life with God.
GOD FIRST 
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