In part 2 of this series (see it here if you missed it), I shared how David, instead of seeing only the strengths of Goliath, chose to see the weaknesses as well. This was what differentiated him from the rest of the Israeli army which trembled at the voice of Goliath. In Part 1, I broached the concept of: What you are afraid of is afraid of you. In this post, Part 3, I will share exactly how David exploited Goliath’s weaknesses to win and how you too can apply this.
After David had refused Saul’s armor, or the conventional way of doing war fare, he resorted to his tried and tested method – Archer war fare. In times past, God had delivered David and his sheep from a Lion and a Bear using the simplicity of a sling. David had seen God show up in the past, He had grown confident and comfortable with his use of the sling, and that, as primitive and naive as it may sound was what he was going to use to defeat this giant, this Goliath. Here are the steps David took and the relevant application to you:
(1.) David ran quickly towards the giant, exploiting his weakness of being slow and stagnant. Application: Don’t run away from your problems, stand and deal with them. Better still run towards them. There is no promotion without tackling problems (giants). It’s either the problem kills you or you kill it – do not run away from problems, run towards it. Its only an opportunity dressed as an obstacle.
(2) David attacked from afar, exploiting Goliath’s weakness of knowing how to fight only in close range man to man combat. Application: Start early in dealing with problems and deal with them the way you know how to. In other words, run your own race. Don’t deal with your giants in a certain way only because the Jonesses deal with their problems that way. Deal with them on your own terms and according to your ability. Deal with them the way God has shown you in times past how to win.
(3.) David aimed at his forehead, exploiting his weakness of not being react quickly and duck. Application: Attack problems with stealth and swiftness, deal a decisive blow to them. In other words, attempt to solve these problems once and for all. Don’t baby sit the problems, don’t apply a band aid to them. Go for the root cause and deal with it so it does not re-occur. Go for the kill the first time.
(4.) David then used Goliath’s own sword to cut his head off, again exploiting the giants inability to get up quickly and making a public show of it. Application: Be merciless and ruthless in tackling your problems. After your problems are solved, ensure you throw a public party, give a testimony, whatever. Let your world know that God has helped you slay this giant. That way, it is permanent, you get your spoils of war, and you get the confidence that you can deal with future problems.
Do you now see that your adversaries perceived strength over you is actually its weakness? When I say adversary, I’m not particularly talking about a man or woman. Remember:
For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. – Ephesians 6:12
I am talking about a situation you’ve not been able to overcome. It could be someone you need to confront though you haven’t gathered enough courage to do so in times past. It could be asking your boss for a raise. It could be losing weight. It could be starting a blog or writing a book. Perhaps it could be asking the little pretty girl across the street out on a date. Whatever it is that intimidates you, I want you to know today that It’s perceived strength is actually it’s weakness. And if you, like David, choose to spot this weakness, summon courage enough to exploit it, yours will be the kingdom. You can do this, the world awaits you. In Part 4 of this series, I will show ways we can apply what we’ve just learned in 2014. Don’t miss it.
Read Part 4 here
