When Empty Jars Teach Us to Lead (1 Kings 17)

The famine was real. The widow’s pantry was bare. Her plan? One last meal before death. Then Elijah shows up with an audacious request: “Feed me first.”It sounds unreasonable—until you see what happens next. Flour doesn’t run out. Oil doesn’t dry up. And when her son dies, God breathes life back into the boy.

This isn’t just a miracle story. It’s a leadership manifesto.

By studying the widow’s reaction, we learn that service carries a price, but that the price is always worth the service. Let’s dig into that a little more.

First. The widow gave to Elijah even though giving hurt. She was down to her last meal, yet she shared it with Elijah. Now, one could argue that her provisions were going to be gone anyway, so why not make a smaller meal to quicken her death? But that approach supplants God’s purpose with human fatalism. Instead of taking a “woe is me” approach to her last meal, the widow gives us a glimpse into what happens when we share what is already scarce…and the trust that grows from shared privation.

Our second lesson comes from Elijah’s approach to the widow. His instructions from God were simple: Go be fed by a widow at Zarephath. God didn’t indicate the widow’s age, how she looked, or her name. He simply said go—and Elijah went. More than that, when he got to where God sent him, Elijah didn’t take charge and begin changing things to achieve God’s plan. He asked questions and listened to the widow first. Upon hearing her response, he then formulated a path that would honor God’s plan.

Finally, Elijah’s experience with the widow and her son teaches us that redemption is part of the growth process. After everything the widow had done for Elijah, after everything she had seen God do with the flour and oil, she still doubted when trouble struck home—the death of her son. However, in God’s resurrecting of her child, her faith in God and in Elijah’s leadership was renewed.

So, Servant Leader, 1 Kings 17 teaches us three things that are important, especially in times like today, when the Government shutdown impacts so many lives. First, trust borne in burden creates strong foundations. Just like the widow with her last bit of food, Servant Leaders share everything—knowledge, influence, lessons learned—and the trust that endears withstands future troubles. Second, GovCon celebrates the early adopter, but Elijah’s approach to the widow emphasizes the power in listening first, then creating a working plan. Much like customer engagement, it’s fine to present our ideas, but we must be willing to listen (and truly hear) to our customers and extract their pain points and then adapt our solution to meet their needs. And thirdly, loss isn’t the end. It’s an opportunity to reset, refocus, and renew. We all lose, it’s how we respond to the loss that frames our future successes.

So, here’s my challenge to you today, Servant Leader. Be human. Remember that the shutdown is painful for some, inconvenient for all, and temporary. Trust that God has a plan and listen for guidance on how to adapt your current circumstances to achieve His goals with His plan. After all, if God could revive a child and renew the widow’s faith, how hard could it be to resolve your current circumstances?