There is a Korean expression, dokbul-janggun (獨不將軍). It is often mistakenly interpreted as “a general with only one testicle,” but its true meaning is quite different. Literally, it means “alone, one is not a general.” To be called a general, one must have soldiers who fight alongside him. Without people, there is no general.
1 Chronicles 12 records the names of the mighty warriors who helped David establish the kingdom. The scene of these men joining David is deeply moving: “Day after day men came to help David, until he had a great army, like the army of God” (v. 22). When the Spirit came upon Amasai, the commander of the Thirty, he declared to David, “We are yours, David! We are with you, son of Jesse! Success, success to you, and success to those who help you, for your God will help you” (v. 18).
This is dokbul-janggun. God sent David’s warriors to raise up Israel together with him. David was only as strong as the team that stood with him.
Many years ago, I read the results of a spiritual gifts assessment conducted by a leading church growth scholar among senior pastors of the world’s 100 largest churches. Their spiritual gifts varied widely, but two were shared by all: faith and leadership. The scholar’s interpretation was insightful. Through the gift of faith, pastors relate to God; through the gift of leadership, they relate to people. In other words, when a pastor knows how to engage God and how to engage people, growth becomes inevitable.
God’s grace toward David was expressed in sending him people to work with. But setting God’s intervention aside for a moment, what qualities did David himself possess as a leader? Leadership, in its simplest form, is influence. And the greatest source of influence is not technique, but character. As the saying goes, “Birds of a feather flock together.” The reason such mighty warriors gathered around David was that David himself was a warrior. More than that, he was a leader of greater capacity—someone large enough to embrace them.
Leadership, however, is more than character alone. It also involves skill. Had David failed to position these warriors wisely, his army might have become nothing more than a disorganized mob of talented individuals. Even precious beads must be strung together to become a treasure. As the saying goes, “Personnel decisions determine everything.”
I once read a story comparing two armies: one led by a rabbit commanding tigers, and the other led by a tiger commanding rabbits. The army that won was the rabbits led by the tiger. Victory in battle depends on the commander. Placing leaders and people in the right positions is the general’s responsibility.
Those whom David positioned strategically were not only soldiers. They included the craftsmen who built his palace (1 Chron. 14:1), the priests, the Levites, and those responsible for worship and praise (chs. 15–16). There were also prophets at his side—men he did not appoint, yet who served as counselors and, when necessary, sharply rebuked him. The Chronicler summarizes the result of this collaborative leadership: “And David’s fame spread throughout every land, and the Lord made all the nations fear him” (14:17).
Again, dokbul-janggun. If you desire fruitful ministry, you must be able to build a team. The first step in building a team is prayer. When Jesus looked upon the crowds in need of spiritual care, He said to His disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field” (Matt. 9:37–38).
The second step is for the leader to grow personally. A leader’s ministry is limited by the capacity of the team—but the team’s capacity expands only as far as the leader’s character and competence allow. Without a commitment to personal growth, do not expect teamwork. Working with people can be exhausting and complex, while working alone often feels easier. But remember this: those who work alone cannot fight battles on a general’s scale. Alone, one is not a general.
The core of teamwork lies in God’s grace and the leader’s leadership. God is always faithful to grant grace to those He calls. What, then, must we strive to develop? A character that can attract warriors—and the leadership of a general who can labor alongside them.