Scripture: 1 Samuel 17:1 - 58 (cf. verses 19 - 51; Philippians 4:4-7
Title: Need A Confidence Boost?
Theme: Gaining Self-Confidence through God
Proposition: David reveals to us how we can have a better self-esteem and more self-confidence. In Christ we can possess: 1. An Affirmative Attitude 2. Proper Perspective 3. We can Negate the Negatives 4. Assuming God's Armor of Victory!
INTRO:
Grace and peace from God our Father and from His Son Jesus Christ who came to take away the sins of the world!
Any parent that has a pre-teen or a teenager can tell you, one of the most difficult things to do is to help them possess a healthy self-esteem and self-confidence. Perhaps that is true regardless of age. We all know that it is difficult at times to keep our self-esteem at a high level and maintain a healthy self-confidence. A healthy self-confidence is one in which you are neither arrogant nor self-sufficient. A healthy self-confidence is knowing who you are in the Lord Jesus Christ and then daily living in the power and might of his Holy Spirit.
In recent studies involving thousands of people across the United States it was discovered that each year nearly 75% of all people ( more so with females) suffer a period of low self- esteem and self-confidence. That study included people from all walks of life, including those who were highly educated to those who had very little education at all. It included those whose offices could be found at the corners of 500 Fortune companies to those who find their beds on the benches of local public parks. People everywhere suffer from times of low self-esteem and low self-confidence.
Let's pause and think about that for a moment - 75% of Americans each and every year suffer from a period of experiencing low self-esteem and/or low self-confidence. It's a time when they are not sure that they even deserve to be happy or even have peace of mind. It's a time when they suffer from a lack of energy, brain power and good mental health. It is a time when everything looks dreary, dark and foreboding.
According to Dr. Joe Rubino in his book, The Self-Esteem Book, the problem of low self-esteem is global. Dr. Rubino estimates that nearly 85% of the world is affected by a periods of low self-esteem during their lifetime. Therefore, low self esteem and low self-confidence is not an American problem, it is a human problem.
What if anything can be done about this? Is it just a part of being human living in a broken world? Is there some magic pill that we should all be taking? Is this really how God intends for billions of people to live each year - having to deal with extended periods of low self-esteem and low self-confidence? It is easy during those down times to start whining and feeling like the whole world is against you. It easy during those down times to think that you are the only one who is getting all the bad breaks. It's easy during those time to go into full blown depression which of course only exacerbates the problem.
I do not believe that is the life that God nor His Holy Word desires for any of to experience. Jesus clearly tells us in John chapter 10:10 that "I am come that they may have life, and that they might have it more abundantly ". He came to redeem us, renew us and restore us into his own image. Jesus came so that we could experience a life free from the penalty of sin and the power of sin. Jesus came for us to a life anointed with his Holy Spirit.
I believe this morning that through the infilling power of God's Holy Spirit it is possible for us to live a wonderfully victorious life. I sincerely believe that the more one grows in Christ the more one can and should experience the abundant life. Does it mean we will never have low moments? Does it mean that we will never have down times that affect our self-esteem and self-confidence? Does it mean that we will never have to face difficult trials and temptations? Of course not. However, I take Paul's words to heart when he tells us that "in Christ I can do all things" (Philippians 4:13). And I believe that part of "all things" is making sure that our down times are as minimal as possible. I also believe that part of that "all things" means that in Christ we can rise above the brokenness of a fallen world.
I also strongly believe that we need to help those who do suffer from extended periods of low self-esteem and low self-confidence. We need to be their encouragers. intercessors and companions. I believe we need to assist them in seeking sound professional medical advice. Environment, genetics, diet, life situations along with health issues can cause any of us to experience long periods of low self-esteem and low self-confidence. If we begin to experience those times we should never be ashamed or feel guilty. Instead we should seek help. It is at those time that all of us are called to be Jesus to one another. It is during those times we are called to bear one another's burdens and intercede for one another (Galatians 6:2).
So, are there some ways that we can experience more confidence, more self-esteem and more victory in our lives? I believe our passage this morning provides for us four major keys that can greatly assist us. I believe young David shows us some ways that can help us crawl out of a pit of low self-esteem and low self-confidence.
Let's look at these four keys this morning:
1. We must possess an Affirmative Attitude - verses 34-37
It all starts with the mind. David knew he had to formulate a picture of success. He then put his attitude and his heart in the right direction. Perhaps it was out of the stories he had heard about his great-grandmother Ruth that helped him. He knew that Ruth had faced some giants in her day and was victorious. He knew that she had faced impossible odds and yet found victory. His very being was a testament to her affirmative attitude.
When David stepped out on that field to face Goliath it was with an Affirmed Attitude - David knew down in his core that he was going to win. David did not see himself leaving the battle that day defeated. David saw himself as God's anointed messenger who the LORD was going to use to defeat Israel's enemies. David knew that he was going in the authority and power of the LORD GOD ALMIGHTY.
We see in verse 40 that David picks up five smooth stones. Not just one, but five. He knew exactly what he was going to do with all five of them. Some have theorized that he picked up those five stones because Goliath had four other brothers. In other words, David was preparing himself to not only fight Goliath but all the giants that day. He was going to finish the enemies of God in one setting. Now that's confidence in yourself and in the LORD GOD ALMIGHTY.
David knew down in the core of his being that day that he was going to win. He knew it because he knew himself and he knew the LORD. David knew his own abilities and he knew the power of the LORD. He could see himself carrying the head of Goliath back to King Saul and dumping it at his feet in victory.
At first glance we may consider that David was a little naive or at the very least a little arrogant. We may even think that David was quite full of himself, but I don't think he was this time. David possessed an Affirmative Attitude because the LORD had already helped him defeat both lions and bears ( verses 35-26). Let me restate that - David possessed an Affirmative Attitude because the LORD had already helped him defeat both lions and bears. Not just a lion and a bear but plural - lions and bears. And to David this big Philistine Goliath was just one more enemy of God's sheep. An enemy that He knew the LORD would use him to defeat.
St. Paul had the same affirmative attitude when he told the disciples of Rome - "IF GOD BE FOR US WHO CAN BE AGAINST US?" (Romans 8:31). He too was facing some impossible odds but believed in the power and might of the LORD GOD ALMIGHTY. I believe those words or words like them were already stamped on David's heart. Whatever God asked David to do David was willing and ready to do it. He know that when he went in the power of the LORD the only possible outcome was victory.
Today, many people suffer unnecessary defeat and despair because they don't really believe victory can be theirs. They paint pictures and formulate scenarios of failure instead of victory. And when we do we walk away from faith towards doubt.
Instead, we must believe that God is not only on our side but He will bring the victory. We must ask the LORD to help us possess an Affirmed Attitude. We must believe that in Christ we can do all things. We must step out in faith for:
IF GOD IS FOR US, WHO CAN BE AGAINST US.
II. Secondly, we see that David possessed the proper perspective - verses 34 - 45
David was an idealist. You can gather that from reading his psalms. But he was also a realist. He could write the loftiest of words but he still keep his feet on the ground. He saw Goliath standing right there in front of him. He knew he was a mighty man of valor. David saw the whole picture. What David didn't do was to allow that picture to either get out of focus or magnify itself.
The reason the other Israelite soldiers and even King Saul had not stepped forward was because they had the wrong perspective. They were blinded by their own fear and low self-esteem. They had lost their confidence in themselves and in the LORD. They had allowed their fears to make Goliath much larger and more powerful than he actually was in real life.
What they saw was a mighty man over 9' 9" tall. What they saw was an immoveable force. What they saw was a man who they believed could not be defeated. What they saw was an impossible task. They were looking at him with only human eyes.
David on the other hand saw only a man. A big man but just a man. A big clumsy footed idolatrous man. A big clumsy footed man that David knew he could run circles around. I can see the wheels in David's head spinning around as he is thinking:
"Boy, he's big. He's the biggest man I have ever seen. His spear and shield are huge. But he is not as big as those bears or as fearsome as those lions. Also, I am a lot faster and more nimble. I will be able to hit him before he is even knows it. I have to remember, the bigger they are the harder they fall, so, I'll have to make sure I give him enough room to fall when I hit him. Once he's down I'll take that sword and finish the job."
In verses 26 and 36 we see that David saw the true Goliath. David had a heavenly perspective on this man. Goliath was not a spiritual man of valor or power. Goliath was an idolater and a blasphemer. This man did not know nor did he worship the LORD GOD ALMIGHTY. In fact, this man cursed the LORD GOD ALMIGHTY. Physically, yes Goliath is a giant. But spiritually Goliath is only a shrimp.
Right next to my home church in Kentucky was the local town cemetery. When I was young I just knew that the cemetery was haunted. I knew it because the older children at church told all of us younger children that it was haunted. As a result, all of us younger ones were afraid to walk around it at night even though it was right next to the church. We knew that if we walked through it one of the ghosts or goblins that lived there could jump out and attack us, kill us or eat us.
I remember one night after church looking over at the cemetery and seeing something floating around. I was convinced that it was the ghost of a person who had died earlier that week For weeks, I was scared to even look that direction anytime after dark. Each Sunday night and Wednesday night I would get out of church and immediately walk away from that direction.
Finally, one day I decided that was enough. I was tired of being told that the cemetery was haunted. So, I made up my mind to walk through it but I wasn't going to chance anything, I was going to walk through it during the day. And if I survived that trip I would go again later that night. We lived about a 1/10th of a mile away so I knew I could go after supper before it got too dark.
I also figured that if something ran after me I had plenty of places to run to in the day time. Plus, I never heard of ghosts or goblins bothering anyone during the day. All the TV shows had them out at night. So, mustering up as much courage as I could I started walking towards the place that I thought I had seen someone floating. I took a big stick along for some protection. I didn't know what I was going to do with it but it made me feel safer at the time.
When I got to the place where I thought the ghost was I couldn't believe it. Instead of finding some ghost or goblin signs all I saw was this big ole broken limb hanging down from the tree. Every time the wind would kick up the limb would begin to sway back and forth. My ghost/goblin was nothing but a dead branch. I can't tell you how relieved I was to see that limb. It was the most wonderful sight in the world.
I had allowed my imagination to get the best of me. I had created something that wasn't there at all. Suddenly, I felt a little foolish. I threw down the stick and started back home. From then on I walked through that cemetery whether it was day or night. My fears were conquered. Growing up, that cemetery became one of my favorite places to visit to think and meditate.
The same thing can happen to us if we don't have the proper perspective to the problems that hit us from time to time. We can allow our imagination to get the best of us. We can make a mountain out of a mole hill. We can allow something that is harmless and turn it into the greatest monster of all.
We must do what David did here in our story. He saw everything just as it was. He put everything into its proper perspective. Yes, Goliath was huge. Yes, he was terrifying. But he was only a man and a man who was not on the LORD's side. He was an idolater and a blasphemer. Goliath had to go and David was going to be the one who would make him go.
III. Thirdly, we see that David negated all the negative thoughts around him - verse 37
It was imperative that David be able to get rid of all the negative thoughts that surrounded him. And believe me there were plenty.
The Philistine were there telling him that he couldn't defeat Goliath.
Many of the Israelite soldiers were there telling him that he couldn't defeat Goliath.
Goliath told David that he couldn't defeat him. Goliath calls him a dog's stick - a worthless piece of humanity.
Even King Saul doubted that David could defeat Goliath
The greatest negative force against David came out of the mouth of his oldest brother Eliab. Eliab tortured David with a barrage of negative thinking. He criticized David, he ridiculed David and he tells David that there is no way he can win. Eliab does everything humanly possible to get David to either abort his mission or at least fail. Why? Maybe, it was because Eliab was jealousy. After all, it was David who was anointed by Samuel instead of him. Perhaps, Eliab believed if David was out the way, Samuel would return and anoint him to be the next king.
Most people after getting a mouth full of negativity from their older brother would have just skulked back home like a dog with his tail between his legs. Most people would have tried to find the exit and gotten out of there as fast as they could. Or else most people would have gotten into a shouting match with their older sibling.
But not David. No one, not even his oldest brother was going to stop him from doing what he knew God wanted him to do. David wasn't going to let the Philistines defeat him nor was he going to let the Israelite soldiers defeat him. David wasn't going to allow Goliath boasting to defeat him and he sure wasn't going to let his oldest brother's negative attitude defeat him. David negated all those negative feelings and attitudes and won the day.
Several years ago a person went to see Dr. Vincent Peale suffering from depression, dejection, gloominess and depression. Their self-esteem and confidence was at an all time low. Someone had told them that they believed that Dr. Peale could help them. All they knew was that life was beating them up. They had turned all the problems in their life into giant monsters.
After he met with the person Dr. Peale believed that he an answer that would greatly help the person. He gave this very simple yet very profound prescription Each day they was to quote the verse that we looked at a little earlier - Philippians 4:13. Dr. Peale wanted this person to say it out loud ten times each day:
"I CAN DO ALL THINGS THROUGH CHRIST WHO STRENGTHENS ME"
The idea was to renew and reboot their mind. You can't be a winner if you don't think like a winner. Oh, you might win a battle or two once in a while but we are what we think. And one of the greatest gifts of the Holy Spirit is the promise that through the Holy Spirit our minds can/will be renewed (Romans 12:1-2).
Paul's verse in Philippians 4:13 was the perfect prescription. This little verse contains four power packed positive truths:
+"I can" - affirmative attitude
+"I can do" - positive action
+"I can do all things" - positive faith
+"I can do all things through Christ" - positive dependence - all things can be done in Christ. He will enable us to do things that in our own strength would be impossible.
This morning, we need to understand that people can and may say all kinds of negative things about us They may tell us that we are unimportant and unworthy. They may even ostracize us. They may judge us unfairly and insult us. But they cannot stop us if we will look to Jesus. They cannot stop the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.
"I CAN DO ALL THINGS THROUGH CHRIST WHO STRENGTHENS ME"
IV. Finally, we see that David Assumed God's Armor - verse 45
All of us this morning need to fight in the armor that God has for all of us. In our story, I believe that King Saul tried to pull off a clever ruse. The Bible tells us that Saul had been a mighty warrior. He was handsome and he stood head and shoulders taller than any of his other country men ( 1 Samuel 9:1-2). His height was one of the reasons the Israelites had chosen him to be their first king. He looked like a king, he carried himself like a king and he was a mighty man of valor.
However, in this case King Saul was over on the side quaking in his sandals like the rest of his army. When David volunteered to fight, I believed King Saul had a rather brilliant idea. If he could get David to fight in his armor then if David won, it would look like King Saul had conquered the giant. They would think that it was King Saul and everyone would be singing his praises. However, if the opposite happened which was most likely and David was killed then in the midst of all the confusion King Saul would be able to slip away. While the Philistines would be busy trying to get his body he could make a quick getaway (see 1 Samuel 31:8 - 10). Either way it was a win-win for King Saul.
David messed up everything when he decided to use the armor of the LORD instead of King Saul's armor. David attempted at first to use the king's armor but quickly realized that no person can fight their battles in someone else's armor. They have to fight in the armor that the LORD has provided for them. Had David gone out there in Saul's armor the only story we might have read about was the day a giant killed a youth from the land of Israel and the army of Israel was defeated.
Recently, the Golden State Warriors NBA Basketball team have adopted a wonderful slogan for their team - "Strength in Numbers.” The idea is that they may not beat you with just one superstar but they can beat you with their whole team. The concept is built the value of team work. It's a great slogan. It's not only a great slogan it's a true slogan. There is strength in numbers.
David would have liked that slogan because when he went out there to defeat Goliath he went with the Strength in Numbers theme - it was God and him. Sadly, it wasn't more at that time. The rest were paralyzed in fear. But when we are assume the armor of God we don't go in our own strength, we go with God and that combination always brings victory. Amen!
This morning, the Apostle Paul in Ephesians 6 picks up on that same theme - God's Armor and shows us we can allow the LORD to dress us for our spiritual battles. We went put on the Apparel of the Lord's Armor like David we will experience victory.
So, what are some of the keys that can help us possess a better self-esteem and better self-confidence?
+By possessing an Affirmative Attitude - seeing ourselves as winners in the LORD
+By possessing a Proper Perspective - not creating mountains out of mole hills
+By negating all the negatives around us - In Christ we can do all things who gives us Strength
+By Assuming God's Armor - Armor that is design for victory not defeat
As we close this morning - let us call up the LORD to help us do what He has called us to do and be - He has called us to be His Church, to be Jesus to our world. He has called us to unite and fulfill the Great Commission. And he has called us to surround one another with love, mercy and grace.
Ending song - VICTORY IN JESUS or MORE THAN CONQUERERS
