Dear Abby....

Today's post is a series of lessons on leading by influence gleaned from from the Biblical story of Abigail.  She was the wife of a man whose name meant "fool", but she was far from one herself.

The full story is in 1 Samuel 25:1-39. Abigail's husband was disdainful of the favor the future king had done for him, and she intervened to deescalate tensions. The key highlights to glean from how she conducted herself are:

• Keep sensible company: Her servants were wise enough to identify when their master had made a lethal error. 
• Be approachable: Said servants felt free enough to tell her of her husband's misbehavior.
• Be well-informed: She knew David was the future king and highly favored by God. Her husband didn't.
• Be a peacemaker: She didn't offer disdainful criticism, even to her husband, but took it upon herself to calm both him and David down.
• Don't be defined by your bad situation: Being married to a fool, she likely had every excuse to act out and be bitter. But she instead chose not to be swallowed up by the negativity.