David pleased an entire nation with his leadership. He credited God in two areas:
1. integrity of his heart
2. skillfulness of his hands

Leaders who lead by skill alone make decisions for the benifit their personal progress.
Leaders who lead solely by heart lack clarity and are ineffective.

1. Integrity of heart: a repentant heart after God, proven by love for His people. This was not only a choice David made in the obscurity of the sheep pasture, but one he worked out throughout Saul’s oppressive regime. He wasn’t just maintaining a right heart, he was developing ‘a heart of integrity’.

The only solution to, “I love Jesus but hate the church, I can forgive but I’ll never forget, my leader is a Saul, I deserve better than this, they don’t recognize my gift…” is repentance. Genuine repentance and true worship are inseparable.

2. Skillful hands: diligence in study and practice, proven by usefulness. David was uncompromising in learning, practicing, and deploying skill in leadership, and he expected everyone in his army to develope aggressively as well.

Skills are acquired and developed by attempting new things and pushing youself through mental and physical barriers. Many people fill themselves with entertainment while others make themselves useful.

As a leader, a follower, and part of a team, developing integrity and skill is part of my day.