Scared of the Sale.
Read Time: 10 Mins
Today the Lord will conquer you, and I will kill you and cut off your head. And then I will give the dead bodies of your men to the birds and wild animals, and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel!
1 Samuel 17:46 NLT
I've always been a very entrepreneurial kid. Most notably, after the Halloween/fall festival season, I started selling the candy I didn't want. That led to an eight or nine-year-old Pace selling candy around his church and community for 25 cents apiece. It may not seem like much but it led to me buying my first Mac computer and my own cell phone when I was in middle school. I sold sodas out of a cooler that I’d roll around at hot events, and I'd employ other kids to assist me. I even had business cards. While I felt rich for most of my childhood, It wasn't even about money. I just loved the art of trade and the transfer of goods. I love building structures and employing systems to help others by exchanging value. It's what I daydream about. At one point I even had a free “stick store” where I would collect sticks and hand them out to the kids in the community from my back porch. This entrepreneurial spirit drew me to many jobs. Going into high school, I worked for a laundry, folding towels, linens, and gowns for local hospitals and nursing homes. I worked at The Cupcake Collection, an award-winning bakery owned by a member of my church, Mignon Francois. I worked at Milosi, a landscape company where I assisted with commercial and residential landscape construction. I worked at Champs where I sold shoes. I worked at Jamaicaway, a world-renowned restaurant that has been featured multiple times on the Food Network with Guy Fieri (also owned and operated by church members). I’ve worked in so many capacities that I may be missing some. I’ve been a janitor, camp counselor, photographer… you name it.
It sounds weird to some but I love work. I love accomplishment and finding creative ways to grow things. I love connecting with people and building with them. I love creating and transferring value. I love building things bigger than any one individual that we can be proud of. I remember one day when I was in elementary school, this entrepreneurial drive led me to start a lemonade stand. It was the summer and I had seen it on TV. I was bored and wanted to accomplish something, so I drew a sign, made lemonade, and sat in my yard waiting. Then I remember it distinctly. A car pulled up and held the money out the window. Maybe in that moment, I remembered all the stranger danger talks I'd had throughout my life. I'm not sure. I just know I was paralyzed. I froze. The kid with a sanguine and entrepreneurial spirit froze when presented with a sale. I don’t know what happened, I just remember being scared. Maybe the guy didn’t look like the demographic I was used to selling to in church communities. Maybe it was the music he was playing or the smoke pouring from his car that led to my pause. I'm not sure. I just know I felt paralyzed. After a moment, I remember sheepishly walking towards his car. He handed me a bill worth 20x more than one cup of my lemonade and told me to keep the change. Before driving off he said something that stuck, “You’re good man, you don't have to be so afraid.”
I tell you this because I believe many of you are like me. God has gifted you. You know what you're good at and you know what you're drawn to. However, when the opportunity presents itself, you freeze. Maybe it’s because the Goliaths in your life now look a little different than the lions and bears you’re used to fighting. Maybe the new environment is tripping you up. Maybe it's being in the king's court that is making you hesitate. Maybe it’s the voices of those around you that are making you unsure. What I love about David is that he was able to confidently speak to his giant with the boldness and conviction we are called to as Christians. I want to be like that. I don't want to freeze when I have an opportunity to walk into my call.
I've seen God kill lions and bears through me but I still sometimes find myself hesitating to kill the new Goliaths I come across. College may have been easy, but now you’re hesitating in adult life. Maybe the entry-level position was a piece of cake but now you’re hesitating to employ those same abilities while in your managerial position. This is your opportunity. It's time to take the risk. It's time to be bold. It's time to walk into this season with the same boldness you had in the last. As I grow, I want to grow in my boldness and intentionality. I want to grow in my confidence. I want to want in my anointing as proudly as David did. If you want the same thing, let's learn from David's life together.
There are a few things I’m learning from David’s story that I want to implement in my own life:
David had ultimate confidence in his call. He stood so boldly in his call that he wasn't looking back for reassurance. Remember David has been anointed as king. He knows the call that God has on his life. Some scholars even believe that David believed he was invincible and couldn't die before he became king. That's how much he believed in the word of the Lord. Not only was David called to more, but he had already seen previews. David had killed lions and bears, plural. He knew what God called him to and what He could do through him. This gave David a godly boldness. What will this look like in our lives?
Let me further point out how this belief functioned in David's life. David believed in his call so confidently that he didn't procrastinate by over-asking for reassurance. Do you realize that David didn't pray about this? I know it sounds crazy but I believe we sometimes pray too much. I'm not saying prayer is bad or that we shouldn't be constantly in prayer. Prayer is needed and beautiful. However, when God gives an answer it’s time to move, not time to use prayer to procrastinate. Sometimes we use prayer to pause when God already has given the instructions and it is time to get to work. Gideon needed miracles with fleece to confirm the word that the angel of the Lord had plainly told him what he was called to do. A literal angel appears to him and does two miracles to confirm his power, and Gideon still has the audacity to ask for more signs. I don't think signs are bad, but after a few of them, you're just wasting time. David saw the door open and went for it. God called him to be king, and before being hired he took it upon himself to do his job and protect the people.
There are some things God has called you to do before you get the title or a vote of confidence from anyone. God already called you, you don't need more confirmation. Walk after you receive the word, don’t wait. David's own family and government don't believe in him, but he believes in God so much that he doesn't need their support. David doesn't waste time asking for further confirmation when his call has already been confirmed.
He wasn't just confident, his confidence led to him being opportunistic. Because David knew his call, he was itching for an opportunity. I can imagine him as the kid on the bench who asks the coach every second to be subbed in. He knows what God can do through him and is anxiously waiting for his shot. He just wants an opportunity. Yall, David was only around because he was delivering DoorDash, but as soon as he saw an opportunity, he switched hats and clocked into his other job. David isn't even a soldier, but he is asking questions and doing research about a job he has not been hired for. What if we employed this same type of sniper-esque mindset in ministry? What if you started training now? What if you started walking like you have the position before the door opens? What if you were so focused on your calling that you're looking for opportunities to walk it out in every situation? What if we saw every mundane situation as an opportunity to grow in our craft? What if you got up late at night and just drove around hoping God would give you someone to help? David was so antsy for an opportunity that his brother thought he was only there to see the bloodshed. Are you hungry enough for your purpose that people close to you think you're crazy yet? Are you confident enough in your call that you're ready whenever your gifts are needed?
The next takeaway is that David stood on business. One of the best things you can do is say what you mean and mean what you say. David’s focus is so crazy. He is so focused and confident that he sounds insane. He isn’t thinking about what others think of him, he is thinking about the mission. His confidence is infectious to the faithful and infuriating to the fearful. He isn't passive with his confidence. He is bold in his actions and words. He isn't just asking about the battle, he is so vocal that the gossip of his query gets to the king. The king calls him in and without even saying hi, David matter-of-factly says, “Aye man don't worry about that guy outside, I’ll take care of it.”
As I'm writing this, the U.S. Men's Basketball Team is doing their training camp in Las Vegas as they prepare for the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris. The basketball world is going crazy because Anthony Edwards, a 22-year-old who has never been to the finals, let alone won a championship, just said that he feels as if he is the number one scoring option for the Olympic team. Now Edwards is good, but he is on the same team as the best shooter ever, 4x champion, 2x scoring champ, 2x MVP Stephen Curry. If that wasn't enough, beside him are 4x scoring champ, 2x finals MVP Kevin Durant and LeBron James. I don't even need to list G.O.A.T. James’ resume for you. That’s not even the entire roster. At the time of the statement, the team combined for 9 Scoring Champions, 9 League MVPs, 16 NBA Championships, and 9 Finals MVPs. Ant’s confidence sounds insane. However, I had to come back to this manuscript a few days later to let you know that the USAMB team played against Canada, and guess who was the leading scorer? You got it, 22-year-old “overconfident” Anthony Edwards. We thought Ant was crazy only for him to deliver in crunch time. Sometimes what others deem as arrogance may just be the truth.
The king is standing before David telling him that he isn't good enough and without skipping a beat he stands on business. When questioned, he doesn't back down, he puffs his chest out even more. He doesn't just stand on business, he comes with receipts. When questioned, he confidently says, “Yeah, this last Tuesday I fought a bear. I'll be ok.” The next time someone questions you, I want you to boldly state the resume. This isn't you trying to prove yourself, this is you just trying not to lie. So many gifted people dim their lights to make other people comfortable but this is rebellion against a command of God. God commands us to let our lights shine. He commands us to be honest about who He is and what He has meant in our lives. The Bible tells us that we should have a reason as to why we believe. When people wonder why you believe, it’s ok to matter-of-factly tell them what God did the other day. It's not arrogant to be honest. When others question you, it’s ok to boldly proclaim your mandate. When the king tells David that Goliath is a warrior, David says I am too. He isn't just honest with the king. He is so bold that he looks Goliath in the eyes and tells him that today, not tomorrow but right now, he will cut off his head and feed him to the wild animals. When was the last time you were bold enough to curse your battle? When I was little and learning cuss words I would practice them on the devil. While that may not be the best advice, I want to speak against a victim mindset and insecurity that is rampant in our churches. Why are we letting a defeated foe bully us, our churches, our communities, and our families for so long? David said enough was enough and told his giant off. When is the last time you spoke to your temptation like a pest on the basketball court? When the devil tries to get you down by reminding you of your past, remind him of his future. Talk trash. Remind yourself and your battle of the God you serve and the victory you possess. The breath in your lungs is proof that the devil lost! It’s ok to stand boldly in your victory, champ! Get this, David doesn't even have a sword and is prophesying that he will cut off Goliath’s head. That’s how wildly confident he is. He is telling Goliath that he is going to kill him with his own sword. The Bible already tells us that God is using every weapon the enemy meant to cause evil for our good. You are called to the same thing!
We would call David crazy. They did call David crazy, but it's only crazy until it works. Others may not believe, but it's not your job to convince them. Put the blinders on and let your actions speak for themselves. Like David, your own family and leadership may not believe, but keep pushing. They'll believe when you kill the giant you just told them was as good as dead. What God is using to inspire will intimidate.
There is a sense of confidence we should walk in as believers. There is a boldness and intentionality that comes from knowing who you are, what you have, and what you're called to do with it. David is confident in his call, he doesn't procrastinate in his production and he stands on what he believes. Remember what God did in the past so that you can stand firm in the present. This is what we are called to. Don't be like me, the kid who knew he could sell but was intimidated when the time came. Stand in boldness. stand on business.
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