1 Samuel 22:2 (NKJV)
“And everyone who was in distress, everyone who was in debt, and everyone who was discontented gathered to him. So he became captain over them. And there were about four hundred men with him.”

We all know we need helpers, supporters, and partners, and we usually want people who are ready to go, ready for action, ready to invest in us. But that’s not the way things work in real life. Real partnerships are developed through relationship investments.

If you make time to invest in people, they will turn around and invest in you. If you need people who will journey with you into the future, invest in them. If you want people to only invest in you now, this is short-term thinking.

Think future. Think long-term. Think of people who will be on your side and your team despite life’s storms and struggles. Such people are those in whom you have invested in relationship equity. They will remember.

People who believe in you are your greatest asset. When David fled from Saul, he took nothing with him. He was alone, broken, and a seeming failure. But there were a few who still believed in him and went to him.

The Bible says that the distressed, the indebted, and discontented gathered to David. Notice that the successful, the wealthy, and the healthy did not come to him. Why? Because they did not see David as adding value to them.

Praise God for those who see value in you and come to you. Even if they seem unprepared to add value to you, embrace them. Receive them in love and decide to invest in them. They will bring returns eventually.

Many of David’s mighty men came from these broken lives. Many of the people we read about as great warriors in David’s Army came from these indebted folks. David invested in them and made them into an A-team.

The strength of your leadership lies in your ability to make men. Ask for the grace to shape men under God’s grace. Don’t wait for perfect people to work with you. Look for people who believe in you. And then invest in them.