Pain…
Some go through it more than others.
Sarah and I have had our share of storms recently. Some nights I have been proud of us, others not so proud. For me there have been days battling anger, and there are others days where I have dipped myself in useless fountains that provide no life. Nonetheless we are getting through it, and letting God do what He wants in and through us this time.
I am convinced more and more that we as humans have more power at our finger tips than we are willing to admit. We think of pain as something outside of us causing turmoil within us. But pain is rather outside circumstances (that no doubt affects us greatly) that actually exposes what is within us.
We have two choices:
1. Try to control everything and everyone around us in a way that does not expose what’s within us. (the power-less person)
2. Aim towards self-control. (the powerful person)
I have been reading the life of Samuel, which led me to the story of Saul and David. I began to see a trend with both of these two. While both experienced pain, both of them responded very differently.
Saul had the pressures of being the first king of Israel. Israel had constant enemies during his rule. Here is how Saul responded:
When Saul was anointed by the prophet Samuel as king, he hid, instead of facing his own fears.
When his son Jonathan’s reputation started growing as a warrior, Saul tried to establish his own PR by declaring a “holy fast.” (Jonathan and God seemed to think it was unnecessary)
After being rejected by Samuel as king, Saul tried to convince Samuel to change his mind through manipulation.
The people began singing the praises of David for his war efforts and comparing them to Saul’s less-than war efforts. Saul gets jealous and tries to wipe David out.
Saul sees David as a threat to the throne. Saul tries to murder David over and over again.
… All instead of addressing his own insecurities, fears, or issues.
David on the other hand saw much pain, and responded totally different. Instead of trying to minimize the hardship by controlling his circumstances, David allowed his pain to become the training ground to prepare him for how God would use him.
David was outcast and overlooked as a kid to the fields to tend the sheep. David choose to worship God in those fields with his harp. He also decided to be an excellent shepherd with skill to fight off any predators.
His country was under the threat of submission. Instead of fearing, he fought the Philistine giant in confidence.
His king (Saul) was demon possessed, David ministered before him with his harp.
King Saul began to be jealous and tried to murder David, but David even though he hid, still protected himself and blessed and honored Saul as his still anointed king. (1 Samuel 24)
Eventually David became king and was arguably the nation’s greatest king. It was the mistreatment by his family where David chose to worship God and be faithful to the assignment before him, that prepared David to face the giant, and then to subdue Saul’s harmful spirit. It was his skills of being a shepherd that created a great warrior in him. It was being a fearless warrior that built his future skills of being a fearless king. It was being chased all throughout Israel by king Saul that caused him to have a better understanding of the land than anyone, thus creating an genius and unstoppable national military strategy. It was honoring the kings authority (Saul) even though Saul was trying to murder him that caused the reciprocated honor of the entire nation. It was the worship of God in the fields, and all throughout his pain and hardship that cause the 1st temple of God to be established in Israel.
David was an unstoppable force because he was not a victim to his circumstances. No one could argue that he had experienced a lot of pain. But David honored, worshiped, blessed, and was faithful through it all. He didn’t fret out or try to control everything and everyone around him; he practiced self control. And one thing led to another creating a momentum that caused David more victory than anyone in his time.
