King David and Leadership: I Am Done With Titles

Everywhere you look in our culture, there's narcissism.

MY-space? YOU-tube? These are not coincidences. While I have nothing against social media or the internet, I am very skeptical of a medium that draws way too much attention to "me." I suppose that "I am done with..." could fall into that category, too, couldn't it?

Well, maybe that's the point -- we're inundated with a me-first mentality. It even affects our spirituality.

Titles are attractive, are they not? We tout them often in our email signatures; we print business cards with them directly under our name.

Titles define us. They give us an identity, usually within the framework of an organization. They give us importance.

However, titles are not necessarily bad. For instance, in the Bible, David had a title. But it was not one that he had intentionally sought or fought for. The people sang about Saul having killed "his thousands" and David "his tens of thousands." He was a renowned hero. And they people gave him titles. "Giant killer." "Slayer of Ten Thousands." "Hero."

There's nothing wrong with that. This is a crucial lesson regarding leadership. "People don't follow titles," William Wallace said. "They follow courage." The titles come later. And so they did for David. Once he proved himself as a humble, heroic man, God gave him a title that meant something: king.

There's something wrong with seeking a title or coasting on the fame of yesteryear's accomplishments. There's something wrong with being a titular leader without accepting the tough responsibilities of true authority or glaring at someone who has earned their title while you sit and do nothing (Saul was guilty of this). And there's something wrong with using your title for your own personal gain.

In our narcissistic society, you really have to make an intentional choice to not be corrupted by the glitz and glamor of a title.

So, today, I am done with titles. And tomorrow...? Well, we'll just have to see how today goes.