Use Your Strengths

"Then Saul clothed David with his garments and put a bronze helmet on his head, and he clothed him with armor. David girded his sword over his armor and tried to walk, for he had not tested them. So David said to Saul, 'I cannot go with these, for I have not tested them.' And David took them off. He took his stick in his hand and chose for himself five smooth stones from the brook, and put them in the shepherd’s bag which he had, even in his pouch, and his sling was in his hand; and he approached the Philistine." -1 Samuel 17.38-40

Saul has agreed to let David fight Goliath, but before he allows him to go to battle, he dresses David in his own armor. David tries to walk, but knows he cannot face an enemy in the king's armor because he has not worked with it, and is not used to it. He takes off the armor and sets aside Saul's weapons. Instead of going to battle fully armored and armed with a sword, he picks up his shepherd's rod, collects five smooth stones for a nearby brook, and prepares his sling in his hand. These are the things he knows how to use, these are the tools he is efficient with, and these are the weapons he will slay the giant with.

When it comes to serving God, we must use our strengths. When I was late in my college years, talking about furthering my education, I was looking at a degree in pastoral counseling. That was the area I felt least equipped to tackle in ministry. I was talking to one of my professors and he told me something I'll never forget, "Strengthen your strengths, not your weaknesses." The idea is to be part of the body of Christ, part of the phalanx, to use the Spartan Warrior language. Instead of trying to develop an area that is not a strength, focus on the making your gifts stronger, and allow someone else to be strong in your areas of weakness. I do not need to be good at everything in ministry, no one will be. I need to focus on my gifts so that others can use theirs as well.

Men, what are your strengths? What areas are you gifted in? Where are you not as gifted? What do you do about these areas? Do you spend your time and energy to make your strengths stronger, so that they can be more beneficial? Or do you try to work on areas of weakness at the expense of your strengths? This does not mean spiritual disciplines, such as prayer or Bible intake. I am not suggesting that you should neglect one of these areas of weakness to focus on your stronger areas. I am talking about your gifts and skills. I was a decent wrestler, but a poor basketball player. I didn't focus my time in high school on my basketball skills, hoping to make varsity. Instead I poured myself into becoming a better wrestler, and enjoyed some success in the sport. What are your gifts? How will you strengthen them?

David fought Goliath with the tools he was familiar with, Saul fought battles in his armor with his sword. That is how it is meant to be.

Let us be men who strengthen our strengths. Let us allow others to be strong in our areas of weakness. Let us join our strengths together for teh expansion of the Kingdom.

"Iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another."

To God alone be the Glory!

Strength and Honor