Introduction

Character is not the basis of our calling. We are called because of God’s grace and mercy alone. But our character is important in fulfilling God’s purpose for our lives. We can shipwreck our faith if we do not take care of our character. It’s possible that we will not finish well in the race called life if we do not pursue a heart after God’s own heart. In this second sermon in our series, we want to examine what hinders us from developing a heart for God. We will base our study on the life of King Saul recorded in 1 Samuel 9 to 15.

Three Character Flaws

1. The Need to be Accepted (1 Samuel 9:2-3, 17, 21; 10:14-16, 21-22, 26-27; 15:17). – King Saul was insecure in himself. He had a great need to prove that he is worthy to be a king. This became his Achilles heel. Instead of trusting in God’s grace, and being thankful for it, he always ventured to prove to Israel that he was worthy of the title “Leader”. Consequently, he failed to focus on God. In the same way, if we are not careful, we can spend all our energies trying to prove our worth in the eyes of others. This would blind us to the true calling of God for our lives.
2. The Need to be Successful (1 Samuel 13:5-7, 7-10, 11-14). – Because King Saul was insecure, he always wanted to be successful. He was afraid of being called a failure. Consequently, he would always do things to guarantee his success even to the point of claiming the success of others as his own (e.g., the success of his son Jonathan). When failure threatened him, he disobeyed God. In the same way, we can be tempted to cut corners or to go ahead of God just to guarantee our success. This will hinder us from having a heart for God.
3. The Need to be Correct (1 Samuel 15:7-9, 10-11, 13, 14-16, 19-21, 22-23). – King Saul wanted to be correct at all times. He didn’t want to appear wrong. Even though it was clear that he was wrong, he would always justify his wrong decisions, even claiming to be spiritual while doing so. He had a hard time admitting his mistakes until he is not able to do so anymore. His sin was his arrogance and self-righteousness. In the same way, when we are too focused on being right, God may not be able to show us our wrongdoing.

Conclusion

1. Focusing on ourselves hinders us from focusing on God.
2. Life is not about you but about God. Focus on God!
3. This week find out how you can focus on God and not on yourself.

Discussion

1. What is hindering you from focusing on God these days?
2. How will you overcome your tendency to focus on yourself?
3. What practical steps will you take to focus more on God?