We can learn and apply a lot from examining the Biblical account of the duel between David and the Philistine giant known as Goliath. Here are five guidelines and examples followed by a few modern applications of these lessons:
- Draw from experience to inform your future decision-making.
Example: God favored David to overcome a bear and lion that threatened his sheep. These instances were part of God’s preparation for David to confront this moment in boldness. Since God had not let him down before, he knew that it would be no different this time (1 Samuel 17:34-37).
While we ought to be careful about excessively dwelling on the past, it can sometimes offer insight into the future. Sometimes God may have us remember past occurrences to avoid making the same mistakes again or prepare us for the next season. Therefore, it is essential to draw the line between harboring grudges or bitterness about past events and using the recollection of such instances to help guide critical decisions. For example, there might be someone who wronged you. Despite forgiving them completely, you may still retain a vivid memory of what transpired. That way, we may become less naive and exercise more prudence to guard ourselves against this happening again.
The key is asking God for wisdom and discretion alongside a solid dose of prayer. There are times that we might acquire the courage to retake similar risks if they are not unwarranted. After all, it would be cynical to assume that everyone would wrong you under the same circumstances. Perhaps you were wronged by a business partner, a co-worker, or in the context of a past romance. Projecting past experiences upon people who do not intend to harm us could impede future progress in these areas. We need to find that balance where we learn from the past, take calculated risks without fear, and ultimately trust God to offer the necessary provisions to disentangle you from unfavorable situations. We need to be willing to extend forgiveness and grace to one another, too, because the only One who will never let you down is God. Anyone else can disappoint you, including your most cherished loved ones.
- It can greatly benefit us to shift the advantage in our favor by surprising our adversary with unexpected assets, allies, or approaches.
Example: David wielded a sling and a few stones rather than the predictable sword and shield (1 Samuel 17:40).
When we approach our opposition, it stands to reason that we do ourselves a favor to avoid being too predictable. Chances are, this does not come in the form of a literal battle. Although, I can imagine it being that way for some in the world of competitive fighting like boxing or unforeseen situations requiring elements of self-defense. We need to consider our advantage before battle and assess the risks involved accordingly. Jesus Christ mentioned counting the cost before waging war. To paraphrase, if a King saw that an opposing army was coming with twenty-thousand, and he could not do battle securely with his army of ten-thousand, it would be wise to send someone to delegate the matter and request terms peace. He would save the lives of numerous people by swallowing his pride (Luke 14:31-33).
Maybe gathering some support in the form of personal allies or even strangers who align with your goal could be of great assistance. Perhaps the opposition in your case is a board of directors to a school district with an unjust rule that many parents oppose. Your allies here are the parents of your children’s peers. Having a common goal and a genuine passion for the same outcome in the name of your respective children provides all the incentives needed to forge alliances. These are the kinds of battles that we should count the cost of potential defeat in and determine if we can handle all foreseeable outcomes.
- Never underestimate anyone. Sometimes the underdog in a conflict has a far greater likelihood of winning than it appears. The significance of this idea grows in proportion to the value of the outcome to each opposing party. A more significant incentive to win will ensure your opposition will put in tremendous effort.
Example: David approached the fight with humility and complete reliance on God. On the other hand, Goliath assumed the battle would be swift and easy, leading him to complacency (1 Samuel 17:41-43).
It is easy to go into a competition or feud with ego, arrogance, or pride of all kinds. This temptation is magnified when we have a track record of success in the area. Such a situation may lead us to complacency and eventual defeat. Perfection is a fool’s errand, so if we step back in humility and put our best foot forward with lesser expectations, we often free ourselves to do even better. Pride usually weighs down our performance as any result outside of an absolute victory would count as defeat in our minds.
On the other hand, we can prepare for things with intentionality and discipline when we eliminate pride and unshackle ourselves from pressure. Furthermore, once the time to perform comes, we trust that it is subject to God’s will no matter what the outcome. In the end, we either fail and learn or enjoy the fruits of victory. That’s a win-win scenario in my book.
- Always seek to give God the glory for your victories because ultimately, He is the One who provides them. There’s no sense in battling in the first place if there is not some aspect of it that yields honor, glory, and acknowledgment to our Maker.
Example: David made it clear that Goliath was in opposition to the God of Israel and proclaimed the victory in the name of the Lord. (1 Samuel 17:45).
Even when we think we have personally contributed dramatically to a particular outcome, we must humble ourselves and remember God’s providence. Without Him, we wouldn’t have woken up with air in our lungs and hearts thumping with life today. The truth is God opens and closes doors and gives us the strength, tools, opportunities, wisdom, discretion, allies, and everything else required of us to achieve anything. In fact, without God’s support, we would be unable to do anything of eternal value. We must come to acknowledge this every time we have the opportunity to point out that it would have been impossible without Him. It’s all done by His grace to accomplish His will, for His glory. He doesn’t need you or me, but he wants us to participate in His plans anyway. It’s an unfathomable honor and blessing enabled by our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
- Make sure that your motives are pure and you are not putting yourself at risk for the wrong reasons.
Example: David trusted God’s sovereignty and stepped out in faith in a direction he knew God approved. He wasn’t fighting for pride, selfish gain, or fame (1 Samuel 17:46-47).
We need to evaluate our reasons for each decision we take, particularly those that carry more significance in our lives. We need to assess anything that impacts our lives in such a manner with the utmost scrutiny. It should involve a heavy amount of introspection, prayer, and consideration to make the right choices and avoid the wrong motives for life-changing situations. However, I would venture to say even the more minor determinations should point in the right direction as frequently as possible. Circumstantially, a ripple effect of seemingly unimportant decisions can build or destroy a lot, and thus we shouldn’t take them lightly. Granted, we might be able to make simple decisions with less deliberation in our day-to-day living when the Word of God is at the forefront of our minds.
In the case of these smaller choices, we might have the unique opportunity to see where our hearts take us. For example, if I choose to borrow a pen from a friend, it wouldn’t be particularly groundbreaking if I kept it by accident. Yet, if in my heart I realized I stole it from them deliberately and had ample time but failed to return it, I should be honest enough with myself to recognize that there is a problem here. Of course, it is better to catch a problem early on and cut it off at its root immediately rather than allow it to develop into a more severe issue later. But, on the flip-side, if my heart were in the right place and submitted to God’s will, I would recognize all sin is worthy of overcoming. Therefore, ideally, I shouldn’t have a problem returning the pen without a second thought.
While I used a pen for the example above, it could be the same with borrowing a small amount of money or any other item. It may also carry over to friends or strangers, and the analogy would apply similarly to different kinds of sin. The key is that God’s commands are all worthy of being honored, and avoiding stealing is a principle that should dictate our decisions as often as possible. We cannot afford to allow the small-scale compromises of any command become a slippery slope to more extensive failures in the future.
Reeling it back in, whether it be a matter of pride, selfish gain, fame, or another impure motive, we need to submit our intentions to God. Don’t let impure motives lead to destructive sins or bad habits. Instead, we should ask God to reveal where we might stand to improve and how we can better honor Him with our decisions, big or small!
