1/25 Strength for Today

1 Samuel 8:1
“And it came to pass, when Samuel was old, that he made his sons judges over Israel.”

In the verse above, Samuel made a common mistake that I see many pastors and business owners make. In the verse above we read that Samuel made his sons judges over Israel. I have no problem with this as long as they earned that position. The mistake I see is found in verse 3 where God talked about the wickedness of his sons and Samuel did nothing about their actions. It's amazing to me how strong Samuel was when he pointed his finger at Saul for his wrong actions and yet he never removed his own boys when they did wrong. This mistake eventually wore on Israel to the point where they wanted a king to lead them instead of a prophet.

Every person who hires their child needs to learn that their child should earn the right to hold that position. Just because they are your child does not mean they have earned the right to have a position in the church or business you run. Too many times, for the sake of keeping our children near us, we hire them and give them a position that we would never have given to someone else at that age. When pastors and business owners do this, they set themselves up for heartache down the road. You must realize that your children should not be handed position, but they should earn position.

Let me take this one step further. When a pastor or business owner hires their child, they should hold them to the same rule to which they would hold everyone else. When you hire your own children you better expect that people will come to you when they do wrong. When this happens, if you want to keep your credibility and respect, you better listen. If what they are saying is true, then you need to correct your children. If you can't correct your children when they are working for you, then you have no business hiring them. Be careful not to overlook the actions of your children just because they are your children. A wise leader will hold their children to the same standard to which they hold everyone else on their staff.

I am not against someone hiring their child; I just believe they better consider all the ramifications that will come with hiring them. They better make sure their child has earned the right to have a position, and when they do wrong, you better quickly deal with it or you will lose the respect of those who follow you. When it comes to hiring your child, be slow and wise in hiring them.



To contact Evangelist Allen Domelle, send an email to contact@oldpathsjournal.com.