When 5 Smooth Stones of Strategies Aren't The Point

In the story of David and Goliath (1 Samuel 17) little, untrained David reject Saul's armor and goes out to meet the giant with his slingshot and 5 smooth stones he finds along the way.  I've heard (and used) applications of this story 100 times.  Most of them involve identifying 5 actions to take in overcoming the giant of (fill in blank here...addictions, sins, relationships, etc).  I've heard (and taught) about putting off Saul's armor because God wants to use you and me just as we are, not wearing someone else's strengths and gifts.  I've even taught about how God used past experiences in David's life to prepare him for this moment.


These applications are not wrong, per ce, but what if we looked a little deeper to see how the narrative fits into the larger story of salvation?  How would that affect my reading of the narrative?

The larger narrative of Scripture and for that matter, Redemption History, is our representative in Christ defeating death and sin through His death and resurrection.  This would mean that in the David and Goliath story, the person I should identify with is not David.  It's not Goliath either.  If David represents a Christological figure and Goliath represents sin and death, then where do I fit in the story?

When Saul and all Israel heard these words of the Philistine, they were dismayed and greatly afraid.  [1Sa 17:11 ESV]

I'm one of the scared Israelites hiding in the camp.  I'm not looking for strategic stones to overcome this evil.  I'm not getting out my sling to slay a giant of addiction.  I'm hiding in my tent hoping someone will come deal with this!

This is where it gets good!

Look what happens when David defeats the giant.

And the men of Israel and Judah rose with a shout and pursued the Philistines as far as Gath and the gates of Ekron, so that the wounded Philistines fell on the way from Shaaraim as far as Gath and Ekron. [1Sa 17:52 ESV]

Once the battle was won, the scared Israelites came charging out of the camp full of confidence and strength!

This narrative took on new meaning for me as I reflected on my role as a pastor.  I'm constantly looking for 5 strategic stones to grow the church, have more effective ministry, and build a lasting impression on our community.  Maybe I need to quit looking for stones, and instead look up and see that Jesus already conquered the giant that mattered.  Maybe I need to find my confidence in the One who defeated death rather than a smoother stone.  Maybe I need to leave the camp and start doing what God called me to do - share the good news of freedom from sin and death!

What does this mean for you?  If you aren't David trying to conquer a "giant" in your life, but instead you were one of the scared men hiding in the camp, then how does it change your perspective on life if Jesus already won the battle that mattered?  How does this affect your confidence? How does this impact your willingness to talk about the battle Jesus won on our behalf as opposed to how you applied a 5 step process to overcome an addiction?

Confidence comes in the victory won by Jesus, not in better stones.

(note: thanks to Jared Wilson's book "The Pastor's Justification" for this idea and reading of the text)

"Happily Ever After...and other crap."

This is an excerpt from an email I wrote to someone who is dealing with a lot of tough issues. I think the questions she was asking are questions the vast majority of people today are asking...so I am posting a portion of my reply.

Too many pastors and Christians try to make every story end with "and now I'm closer to God and everything is much better." This is simply our desire for a fairy tale ending..."And they lived happily ever after." There's a reason they call that a fairy tale.

Life is hard. Dealing with depression and other issues is not a walk in the park or something you decide to "get over." It is and will be a lifelong issue for you. That doesn't mean you won't experience victory over it, that just means you will always be vulnerable in this area. For some people it addictions to drinking or drugs or co-dependent relationships or success or people-pleasing or sex or food (the list could go on). For you, it is propensity toward depression and cutting. Like the recovering alcoholic who should not take the first sip, you must guard your heart and your body from slipping back into old patterns. This will be an issue for many years to come.

All that being said, you need to know also that this in no way means you can't have a healthy, fun-filled, vibrant life! You are a beautiful young lady full of life and vitality. Don't ignore that aspect of you.

Being closer to God is a difficult concept to talk about because it means something different to every person. For some it is an emotional high that they have to hit (almost like a drug trip...). For others it is a life of successes and victories. For still others it is a life sequestered from the world. None of these really hits the mark. They are all more like an American dream, not God's dream for our lives.

God's dream for our lives is holiness. He wants us to live a life of holiness in a world that is dying to connect with Him - even when they can't articulate that. Being close to God involves both a mental decision (act of the will) and your heart. The great news is that no matter where you go (emotionally, spiritually, or physically) God is there. You can't be "far" from God. The difficulty lies in our feelings about our relationship with God.

As the Prodigal Son "came to himself" when he was in the far country, so also, there are many times we need to come to ourselves and return to the embrace of the Father. We, however, must realize that we never ceased being a son/daughter - even in the far country. Whether you feel it or not, you are a precious daughter of God. Whether you want to be or not, you are God's beloved. Whether you read your Bible every day and pray or not, you are safe and secure in the Hand of God. You may feel your relationship with God is not strong, but from God's perspective He will never let go.

Under the Mercy,
Jason