He started from the bottom and he became a man after God's own heart. (If that isn't a great underdog story, then I don't know what is).
He was a worshiper. He praised, he hollered, he sang and he danced before the Lord so much so that his own wife, Michal, chastised him for making a fool of himself in front of the servants.
But he didn't let that phase him.
"It was before the Lord who chose me rather than your father or anyone from his house when He appointed me ruler over the Lord's people- I will celebrate before the Lord. I will become even more undignified than this and I will be humiliated in my own eyes. But by these slave girls you spoke of, I will be held in honor." 2 Samuel 6:21-22
David was a warrior before he even hit puberty. His father sent him to the battlefield to give lunch to his brothers. And what he encountered was a stalemate between the Israelites and the Philistines. Well, to be honest, what really happened was the Israelites cowering in one corner while the giant Philistine, Goliath, hurled insults, baiting anyone to step up to him.
David took the bait.
"This very day I will give the carcasses of the Philistine army to the birds and the wild animals, and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel. All those gathered here will know that it is not by sword that the Lord saves; for the battle is the Lord's, and He will give all of you into our hands." 1 Samuel 17:45-47
Did I mention that David had a smart mouth?
But not only that, David was a king, a musician and a poet.
He was a Renaissance Man before Leonardo.
And he was a generous man.
In 1 Samuel 30, David and his men come back from war and find their village plundered and their families kidnapped. After consulting with God, David and 400 of his men go in hot pursuit for those Amalekites who attacked their village. Two hundred of his men stay behind because they are too exhausted to move so they watch over the supplies.
David and company then go on to overtake and kill the raiding party, retrieving their families and life stock with extra plunder from the enemy. On the way back to their village, David overhears the men saying that those who were left behind should only get their families but none of the newly acquired plunder because they didn't risk their lives like they did.
And David says, from the depths of his generous heart, “The share of the man who stayed with the supplies is to be the same as that of him who went down to the battle. All will share alike.”
David’s sentiments are totally different than what society has taught us: we get our own, depending on what we contributed. You would rarely hear someone of this century say, “Hey, I know I almost died but you deserve half of what I risked my life on” to someone else who sat down to “look over supplies.”
It sounds crazy but don’t forget the fact that because that person stayed behind, “looking over the supplies,” they enabled you to go ahead and be great, to be a warrior. That person who stayed behind allowed you to go forward and conquer with no reservations, with no worries.
Sacrifice looks different on everyone. Just because someone’s sacrifice doesn't look like yours, doesn't negate the fact that the person still had to give up something.
The 200 men had to place their trust in the other men to save their families. That’s a huge sacrifice but they knew they wouldn't have been much help if they went with them, exhausted and depleted from strength. So they stayed and did what they could.
So do what you can. You have something that no one else can give. Don’t compare yourself; don’t look to the right or to the left. No matter what you do, no matter what your position is, you are important and don’t let anyone convince you otherwise.
Your race may look different to someone else’s but everyone is going for the same goal (Philippians 3:13-14). But we aren't in competition with one another. God is able to give all of us what He promised. He will never lack in blessings.
Therefore, be generous especially to those who cannot repay you back.
"If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect." Matthew 5:46-48
God is our standard. We weren't called to conform to the world.
The world may be operating on the “me, myself and I” mentality but we were called to transcend it as we shine with God’s love and His light.
He called us to be His hands and feet to this world. And that means sharing what you have.
Your money, your time, your love, your smile, your umbrella.
We weren't meant to live in isolation and that’s what we do when we focus on personal successes. But if we looked up, if we looked beyond ourselves and stepped out of our comfort zones to give a helping hand to those around us, we will reap so much more success in the eternal realm.
And it really wouldn't cost us a thing.
God repays a cheerful giver by a thousand-fold.
Go and be a blessing to someone. That person needs you.
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