But when David’s oldest brother, Eliab, heard David talking to the men, he was angry. “What are you doing around here anyway?” he demanded. “What about those few sheep you’re supposed to be taking care of? I know about your pride and deceit. You just want to see the battle!”. 1 Samuel 17:28
When David was sent to deliver food to his brothers at the battlefield, he saw what was going on with Goliath and decided to enquire. As he asked around, seeking to know what the reward would be for killing Goliath, David’s elder brother did not seem pleased with David’s actions. Eliab felt David should be heading back to his duty as a shepherd, he had no business on the battlefront. But I loved David’s response. He did not get angry or discouraged by his brother’s comment, he simply continued what he was doing. David did not allow the lack of validation from his brother, or his brother’s narrow perception of him to stop him from doing that which was placed in his heart.
I’m not sure David shared the story of the lion and the bear with his brothers. Even though David was a shepherd and that was all he was known for, God has shown up in David’s life and he had started training this shepherd boy to become a mighty warrior. His training was in the wilderness, away from men. In training, David killed a lion and a bear. The shepherd boy was no longer just a shepherd but was now also a warrior. The challenge was that no one besides him knew that.
A moment came when David had the opportunity to function as a warrior, the challenge was he had no outward validation to encourage him to step into that role. Instead, he received unpleasant comments from his brother. David could have been offended, he could have gone to fight Goliath to prove a point to his brother, or David could have doubted his abilities and said, well maybe I should just let this go, I’m only a shepherd boy.
But David responded differently. He knew that he had been trained and equipped for this moment, so he did not allow the limited identity placed on him by his brother to stop him. I know you see me only as a shepherd boy, but that’s not all that I am. David rose to the occasion, stepped into position, and defeated Goliath. From this moment on, David was now referred to as a mighty warrior. Remember, he had to first believe and see himself as a warrior before others could.
Like David, many have been trained to become warriors in the wilderness but when the time comes to stand up as a warrior we let the voices of Eliabs scream and remind us that we are just shepherds, and hold us back. David took responsibility for his identity, he did not let his brother’s perspective of him hinder him. In the same way, we must take responsibility for how we define ourselves and not allow others put us in a box.
It was you God gave the vision too, it was you He trained. No one was there when He was training you, no one was there when He spoke and instructed you. Because no one was there, no one might be able to validate and encourage you to step into this new dimension. You, like David, would have to step up and be who God has equipped you to be even in the absence of validation.
I know you were once a shepherd, but that is not all you are. God has trained your hands to war, you are no longer just a shepherd. Don’t stay bound by who you were yesterday, and don’t limit yourself to what others perceive you to be, it’s time to break forth into new realms. God has equipped you for this moment. Rise and shine.
Love Always
Obebi
