“Now let this gift which your maidservant has brought to my lord be given to the young men who accompany my lord. Please forgive the transgression of your maidservant; for the LORD will certainly make for my lord an enduring house, because my lord is fighting the battles of the LORD, and evil will not be found in you all your days. Should anyone rise up to pursue you and to seek your life, then the life of my lord shall be bound in the bundle of the living with the LORD your God; but the lives of your enemies He will sling out as from the hollow of a sling.”
1 Samuel 25:27-29
The wisest woman in the Bible. Abigail is regarded as a woman of wisdom in the Bible, described as someone of intelligence and kindness. Upon hearing that her unwise husband had just rejected and rebuffed David’s request for a little consideration after protecting his cattle, she quickly got into action upon hearing that David was on his way to exact retribution against Nabal. What did she do? Wisdom is known by her children. Abigail quickly recognized what was about to happen and made a plan. How could a woman cap- ture a man’s attention and redirect his focus to sparing her husband’s life when he was bent on shedding blood? She appealed to the greatness within him. It is said, “There is a king and fool in each of us. The one that you speak to comes out.” Abigail spoke to the king in David. If you need to turn a volatile situation around, consider the strategy Abigail used.
- Abigail got David’s attention by coming into agreement with him about Nabal’s behavior. She didn’t disagree.
- Abigail accepted responsibility for Nabal’s actions and asked for forgiveness, even though she was not to blame. She took the bullet for another—this got David’s attention.
- Abigail met David’s immediate need with provisions she prepared for him and his men.
- Abigail spoke to David about an area of his strength, his skill with his slingshot. When you speak to someone about their gift, they feel enlarged, and you capture their attention because you are speaking to their focus.
- Abigail spoke to David about his future and God’s promise to make him king. By bringing something sacred into the conversation (someone you both respect), she appealed to his sense of reason and the bigger picture. Talking to people about vision always moves them.
Most people are consumed with something. When you know what is on someone’s mind and speak to their focus, you will gain their attention.
REFLECT TO CONNECT
- How do you win others over?
- What tactics do you use to calm people when they are out of control?
- Is there a time you saw someone succeed in the way Abigail did?
When you speak to a person about their giftedness, you have captured their attention.
