The Discipline of Domination

''Thy gentleness hath made me great'' (Ps. 18:35)

   Most of us are followers, and rightly so, but it is the responsibility of some to assume leadership for the welfare of the many in the school or the church, the farm or the factory, the community or the nation. Of the followers it is required to be diligent and cheerful in the performance of our duties; for the leaders there is the discipline of domination that analyzes the attitudes and measures the motives of those who are called to places of authority, lest they lead or rule for self-interest. Do we lead with love for others and with loyalty to the lowly Christ, or do we lord it over them? With true and searching insight into the human spirit, the Lord Jesus Christ said to His disciples, and through them to us, ''Ye know . . . they that are great exercise authority upon them. But it shall not be so among you: but whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister; And whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant: Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life

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a ransom for many'' (Matt. 20:25-28).

   There are few stories of rising from obscurity to authority more signal than that of David, who was taken from the humble calling of caring for sheep to becoming king of his country. Modern fiction and biography have interesting annals for us to consider, but none quite equals the achievement of the youngest son of Jesse. A peasant lad became a prince, a singer saved his people with a slingshot, a poet performed deeds of valor, a country boy became a king, a shepherd boy became a sovereign. What was the secret of such startling success, that we might learn therefrom?

   Our first response would undoubtedly refer to his courage as the cause for his achievement. Who when gazing in some zoo at a bear or a lion has not remembered that David met such creatures barehanded, and has realized that supreme courage is needed in such an encounter? Devotion to duty, as exemplified in guarding his father's sheep from the depredations of wild animals; or magnetic leadership, which is the endowment of some men, might be other touchstones of his triumph; but to none of these does David make allusions in recounting with all humility his rise to authority. He said simply and candidly, ''Thy gentleness hath made me great.''

   Who would have guessed that gentleness, meekness, docility, and mildness of spirit gave true meaning to David's life? He appears to be a carefree, courageous keeper of sheep, a fearless soldier and magnificent leader of men, a man of war rather than a

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maker of peace; in brief, a man whose military prowess made him master of his people; nevertheless, these qualities were not the true secret of his greatness. Meekness made him a monarch, kindness made him a king, gentleness made him a great man in the earth.

   He was gentle toward his own. For example, when consumed with thirst in the confines of Adullam's cave, he sighed aloud, ''Oh that one would give me drink of the water of the well of Bethlehem, that is at the gate!'' (I Chron. 11:17). Three of his devoted soldiers, at risk of life and limb, broke through the lines of the Philistines to draw water from that well and to bring it to their captain. In profound appreciation for their love and loyalty, he would not drink thereof, but rather poured out the water as an offering unto the Lord. To him it represented their lifeblood, because they had risked their lives in order to please him. Who would think that within the breast of a stern soldier like David would lie such gentleness of spirit toward his own?

   One recalls an incident somewhat analogous thereto in the course of the first World War. The lads of the outfit told me of an incident that had occurred before I joined them. The First Division had been relieved after arduous agonizing service on the Argonne front, and had been relieved to go to a rest area; only to be turned back into the lines within the space of a few hours. There had developed imminent danger of a break-through by the

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enemy. As the weary and battle-worn doughboys returned through a destroyed French village, the Stars and Stripes were flung into the breeze, the Regimental Band was drawn up amid the debris of the market place; and the Brigade Commander reviewed his troops as they returned to the trenches. To martial music and to colors of Red, White and Blue they marched ''eyes-right'' passed their General, to see tears coursing down his cheeks, tears of tenderness for his tired men. General Frank Parker was a tough West-Pointer, but within he had tenderness of a woman's heart.

   Do we have that gentleness of spirit toward our own, those of our own household, those closest to us, whom easily we can injure by thoughtless word or act; those alongside in the work of our Lord, who share our responsibilities and are of like frailties with ourselves? We cannot be caustic to mother and truly courteous to others, critical of father and really considerate of lover, unkind in home or church and genuinely consistent in testimony for Christ. Tenderness is a true test of leadership, a discipline of domination.

   David was likewise gentle to his enemies, those who despitefully used and abused him. There are few characters so unworthy and ungracious as Saul, first king of Israel. Out of sheer jealousy he sought to destroy the young man who had delivered his people from the yoke of the Philistines, and who had brought peace and prosperity to his nation. He haunted David like a wild partridge in the wilderness,

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so that there was but a step between him and death. At length, there came opportunity for David to reply in kind to his king; but he would not. Saul slept, as did his servants; and David drew near in the silence and shadows to find his relentless foe. More than once Saul was at David's mercy, whose companions urged him to avenge himself, or at least to allow them to do so for him, but David would not. ''The Lord forbid that I should do this thing unto my master, the Lord's anointed'' . . . ''Who can stretch forth his hand against the Lord's anointed, and be guiltless?'' (I Sam. 24:6; 26:9). In effect David performed the precepts given long afterward by the Lord Jesus, ''Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven'' (Matt. 5:44, 45).

   Are we possessors of a gentleness so genuine that we can be patient toward our persecutors, gracious to the ungrateful, charitable to the churlish, tender-spirited toward our tormentors? Are we disciplined in domination, rulers of our own spirit before we are rulers of others? ''He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty; and he that ruleth his spirit than he that taketh a city'' (Prov. 16:32). ''Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord. Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in

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so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head'' (Rom. 12:19, 20).

   Above all, David was gentle toward God. He had a sensitivity of spirit to the presence, the power, and the providence of the Most High. He recognized that it was not his hand nor his strength that saved him from the bear and the lion, even from Goliath, rather it was of the Lord: for ''the battle is the Lord's'' (I Sam. 17:47). From experience he could say, My soul, wait thou only upon God; for my expectation is from him. He only is my rock and my salvation: he is my defence; I shall not be moved. In God is my salvation and my glory: the rock of my strength, and my refuge, is in God. Trust in him at all times; ye people, pour out your heart before him: God is a refuge for us'' (Ps. 62:5-8).

   Especially do we see this gentleness of spirit in the story of David and Nabal. The latter was a wealthy sheepherder, whose possessions David and his men had protected. In return they asked a small favor of Nabal, but Nabal railed upon them. Then David seemed to show something of the spark that in his disposition could be stirred on occasion, and for the moment he forgot the gentleness that maketh great. David's reaction was, ''Gird ye on every man his sword'' (I Sam. 25:13). In anger he determined that no Nabal would deny him his due reward. Ingratitude and injustice were intolerable to the tenderhearted David. This was too much!

   In the meantime the incident had come to the attention of Abigail, Nabal's wife, who hastened to

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make amend by bringing food for David and his men. She pleaded with him not to avenge himself, rather to commit his cause to the Lord that judgeth righteously. She reminded him that his days were ''bound in the bundle of life with the Lord thy God; . . . That this shall be no grief unto thee, nor offense of heart unto my lord, either that thou hast shed blood causeless, or that my lord hath avenged himself'' (vs. 29, 31). To be sure, he had no need to pay attention to her plea, but he recognized therein the rebuke of the Most High. With true humility and gentility he responded, ''Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, which sent thee this day to meet me; And blessed be thy advice, and blessed be thou, which hast kept me this day from coming to shed blood, and from avenging myself with my own hands'' (vss. 32, 33).

   Herein is perhaps the greatest test of true gentleness: a sensitivity of spirit that recognizes that we are liable to error of attitude or act, and that God in His faithfulness will seek to restrain us through some servant of His. We are reminded of our own sonship, for our life is ''hid with Christ in God'' (Col. 3:3), of our social relationship, for hereby ''shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another'' (John 13:35). We are caused to remember that ''the triumph of the wicked is short'' (Job. 20:5), and that God has an ''afterward'' for His chastened children (Heb. 12:11). How wonderful it is to have no regrets because of temper when we come to triumph and reward!

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   Do we have the gentleness to heed the counsel of another, to take graciously the word of rebuke about our own course of action or the suggestion that our spirit may not be right, that we have not been guided of God in this detail? David could say, ''Let the righteous smite me; it shall be a kindness: and let him reprove me; it shall be an excellent oil, which shall not break my head'' (Ps. 141:5).

   Gentleness of spirit toward those who are close to us, gentleness toward those that wrongfully abuse us or are our enemies, gentleness toward the Spirit of God, through whatever means He may speak to us, this is the discipline of domination. Uprightness of character and tenderness of heart are imperative prerequisites for those upon whom devolves the leadership of others. Among his last words David included that truth, saying, ''He that ruleth over men must be just, ruling in the fear of God. And he shall be as the light of the morning, when the sun riseth, even a morning without clouds; as the tender grass springing out of the earth by clear shining after rain'' (I Sam. 23:3, 4).

   We remember again David's statement that whatever success had come to him was because ''Thy gentleness hath made me great.'' It was not his native tenderness, personality, nor ability; rather it was God, whose Spirit in his life was manifested by gentleness, ''The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness'' (Gal. 5:22).

   It is the gentleness of the indwelling Saviour, the tender, compassionate Jesus, shown forth to others

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by His Spirit of grace. Gentle to our own, to our enemies, and especially to God, this gentleness that maketh great.

The lovely things are quiet things—

Soft falling snow,

And feathers dropped from flying wings

Make no sound as they go.

A petal loosened from a rose,

Quietly seeks the ground,

And love, if lovely, when it goes,

Goes without sound.

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The Pruned Branch

''Every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.''

It is the branch that bears fruit

That feels the knife,

To prune it for a larger growth

And fuller life,

Though every budding twig be lopped

And every grace

Of swaying tendril, springing leaf

Be lost a space.

Oh, thou whose life of joy seems reft,

Of beauty shorn,

Whose aspirations lie in dust,

All bruised and torn,

Rejoice, though each desire, each dream,

Each hope of thine

Shall fall and fade; it is the hand

Of love divine

That holds the knife, that cuts and breaks

With tenderest touch,

That thou, whose life hast borne some fruit,

May now bear much.

                                                       —Anne Johnson Flint.

*From POEMS by Annie Johnson Flint. Used by permission of the publishers, Evangelical Publishers, Toronto.

Chapter Twenty-nine  ||  Table of Contents