"Peter said unto him, Though I should die with thee, yet will I in no way deny thee. Likewise also said all the disciples" Matthew 26:35. King James Version (KJV).

It was Apostle Peter who assured his Master, Jesus Christ to whom the Lord declared what He was to face alone to fulfil the final phaze of His assignment on the planet earth. Jesus Christ predicted their denial of Him which they protested. However, it came to pass, because it has been written of Him that it will be so.

An important part of Peter's statement that calls for attention here is his resolve to even die with his Lord, Jesus Christ.

Do you know that this faithful Apostle knew what he was saying? Do you know that Jesus Christ was (and still is) a leader to die for anytime. He is worthy to suffer afflictions for, why? He gave His all.

Common complaint of leaders and would-be leaders these days is their difficulty in finding faithful followers. Can they find any?

As a leader, do you look for faithful followers around or want to raise them? Faithful and valuable leaders!

Let us consider the life of a valuable leader who enjoyed the faithfulness of those who followed him. His name is King David in Israel. His followers expressed their faithfulness and the value of King David's life in a crucial moment thus,
"But the people answered, Thou shalt not go forth: for if we flee away, they will not care for us; neither if half of us die, will they care for us : but now thou art worth ten thousand of us: therefore now it is better that thou succour us out of the city."

What was the response of a valuable leader to the above? He said,
"What seemeth you best I will do." I Samuel 18:4(a-b).

All the people of war in hundreds and thousands went to the battlefield with one accord, leaving the king behind to enjoy his support from the city. Where did King David find them? No where! He raised them with the help and wisdom of the Lord.

Let us consider a few points from the life of David that made him a valuable leader who enjoyed faithful followership.

One. In his youthful days, he confronted the enemy of God's people alone. As an untrained soldier by human standard, he went ahead and fought a common enemy of his race and nation in the name and power of the Lord his God. He was a teenager then. Hear his words to Goliath of Gath, the enemy in question,
"Thou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield : but I come to thee in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel who thou hast defied" I Sam 17:45.

In his latter years, he was able to appreciate the Lord, saying,
"Blessed be the Lord my strength, which teacheth my hands to war,
and my fingers to fight." Psalm 144:1.

He confronted Goliath of Gath for whom King Saul and his armies ran away and defeated him. He set God's people free. Who will not faithfully follow a fearless leader like him?

Two. He demonstrated love. He sets aside his own problems to attend to those problems of other people. In his troubles when he was running from cave to cave, from cave to mountain and from mountain to cave, the Holy Bible records,
"David therefore departed thence, and escaped to the cave Adullam : and when his brethen and all his father's house heard it, they went down thither to him.
And every one that was in distress, and every one that was in debt, and
every one that was discontented, gathered themselves unto him ; and he became
a captain over them; and there were with him about four hundred men." I Samuel 22:1-2.

This was the starting point of his leadership. Look at the kind of people who assembled unto him. They were needy ones. They were people who had no rest. They were in debt. Life did not smile on them. He did not drive them away. He embraced them!

Three. With the wisdom of God, he started building these people into somebody. He turned by training them into militants (soldiers of the Lord). He imparted into them the techniques of war taught him by the Lord. At the end of the day, he had not less than six hundred men following him faithfully. Confirm this in I Sam 30:9.

Whenever there is a battle to fight, he goes to fight with four hundred men leaving two hundred to defend the home front. You can confirm this in I Sam 25:13. The only time he failed to protect his abode was when the six hundred armed men left ZIKLAG unprotected and Amelekites invaded and carried everything, people and goods away. He was a captain over these six hundred men.

Four. People's welfare was his concern
He treated everyone with equity. Both the strong and the weak enjoyed the same rights and privileges.

After the recovery of their people and property from the Amalekites, two hundred men became wearied that they could not continue the journey to a battlefield. They were left behind. It was this scenario that revealed that there were certain men of Belial following him. These men attempted to dictate how things should be done but David, as a good leader, prevailed against their negative and selfish suggestion. He taught them a lasting lesson :
"Ye shall not do so, my brethren, with that which the Lord hath given us, who hath preserved us, and delivered the company that came against us into our hand.
For who will hearken unto you in this matter? but as his part is that goeth down to the battle, so shall his part be that tarrieth by the stuff : they shall part alike.
And it was so from that day forward, that he made it a staute and an
ordinance for Israel unto this day. I Sam 30:23-25.

That is a valuable leader for you.

Five. He is a very good organiser and is always ready to be with those he leads. Reading second Samuel chapter number eighteen from verse one to two, we saw how he numbered those people with him. He grouped them and put a captain on each group as each deserved.

Joab was a head over a group, a third of the people. Another third part under the able hand of Abisahai, Joab's brother ;and a third part under the hand of Ittai the Gittite.

This he did during the conspiracy of Absalom, King David's son, who drove him out of the Palace.
He, not only set these men over the people, he promised to go to the war front but his faithful men refused. They valued him so much; and they protected what they valued. They will not want a valuable person to be destroyed. Are you a valuable leader?

Six. A leader is always a leader. Even at his old age, a leader will also want to be there for his people. This was the case with King David when he went to the war front and he almost lost his life because a giant almost kill him but a very faithful follower (soldier) killed the gaint. The resolve of his followers was,
"Then the men of David sware unto him, saying, Thou shalt go no more out with us to battle, that thou quench not, the light of Israel." I Samuel 21:17.

Are you a leader? Are you a light to your generation? Are you building leaders who are now faithful followers? You must be a valuable leader and a light in the midst of darkness. You do not need to advertise that you are the light but let people see it and declare it so.

Do not be a controller but a leader. Be a valuable leader to attract faithful followers.
Stay blessed and prepared for the coming of the Lord.

The Author is the set man of CTFM(WORLD OUTREACH)and Presiding Pastor of Christ Restland Gospel Church.He is a Poet and author of many books. Visit his blogsites www.4thlink.wordpress.com and www.peacelink.wordpress.com for more quality contents.