Learning From David

The story of David's victory over Goliath has inspired millions of people to believe that, even though the odds were against them, they could win. It is the story of a young shepherd boy who no one had ever heard of, but who defeated a giant with a single stone from his sling, and who rocketed to fame, fortune, and success.

We might think that David was simply lucky. Maybe he just happened to be at the right place at the right time. But are there things we can we learn from David that will help us do what he did? Can we learn from David's victory over Goliath how we can slay our own giants and become overnight successes?

Build Your Confidence - Face The Daily Challenges

When the king told David that he would not be able to defeat Goliath, David answered, "Your servant has been keeping his father's sheep. When a lion or a bear came and carried off a sheep from the flock, I went after it, struck it and rescued the sheep from its mouth. When it turned on me, I seized it by its hair, struck it and killed it. Your servant has killed both the lion and the bear; this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, because he has defied the armies of the living God. The LORD who delivered me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine." (1 Samuel 17:34-37)

David's confidence that he could defeat Goliath came from having overcome similar challenges while simply working for his father. Because David had learned to trust God in his day-to-day life, just doing his job, he had developed the faith to overcome any challange. Becoming an overnight success requires that we have confidence when our big opportunity comes. That confidence is built over time as we learn to trust God and overcome our daily challenges.

Face The Criticism

In 1 Samuel 17:28 it says, "When Eliab, David's oldest brother, heard him speaking with the men, he burned with anger at him and asked, 'Why have you come down here? And with whom did you leave those few sheep in the desert? I know how conceited you are and how wicked your heart is; you came down only to watch the battle.'

When we realize that Eliab had just spent forty days being afraid of Goliath, it's easy to understand why he got so upset when his little brother said, "I'll kill him." Eliab was embarrassed that David had more faith and courage than he did, and it was Eliab's doubt and fear that made him so angry with David. In order for us to become overnight successes, we will have to learn how to face criticism. And even if the people closest to us are the harshest critics, we need to understand that the fears that have kept them from pursuing their dreams can cause them to be hard on us.

'A successful person is one who can lay a firm foundation with the bricks that others throw at him or her.'

David Brinkley

Use Your Creativity - Face The Giant

When David first announced that he would kill Goliath, he probably didn't know how he was going to do it. As we read the story we see that he tried to wear the king's armor, but realized that it would not work (1 Samuel 17:38-39). But something that we learn from David through this incident is that it's ok to make mistakes, as long as we don't go too far. Once we realize something isn't working, we need to change what we're doing. We don't have to give up on our dream; we just need to change how we have been trying to reach it.

We will need to be creative and use our strengths if we want to become overnight successes. The king's armor would have been fine for the king, but not for David. Instead, David looked at his experience and skills, trusted in God, and found a solution to his gigantic challenge by using his sling.

Prepare For The Long Haul - Face The Facts

There was an interview with a famous rock musician who had catapulted to success after releasing a live album. The interviewer asked, "What was it like to become an overnight success?" The rock musician replied, "For me it was carrying my equipment in and out of dingy, smoke-filled bars, night after night for fifteen years, until we released that album."

David's goal was to become the king of Israel. His victory over Goliath played a major role in helping him accomplish that goal. But defeating Goliath was not all that he had to do. Many people have big dreams for their lives, but few of them see those dreams become a reality. The time and effort that it takes to overcome the obstacles that every successful person must face, the Goliaths that they have to defeat, seem to be too great.

Everyone who wants to be successful will have to build their confidence, stand firm in the face of criticism, find ways to use their strengths, and commit to reaching their dreams no matter how long it takes. Because the simple truth is, it takes time to become an overnight success because success is the natural reward of taking time to do anything well.