Five Stones: The Essentials of Manning-UpSýnishorn

Stone 1 – Be Courageous: Get a Grip!

“Goliath stood and shouted a taunt across to the Israelites. ‘Why are you all coming out to fight?’ he called. ‘I am the Philistine champion, but you are only the servants of Saul. Choose one man to come down here and fight me! If he kills me, then we will be your slaves. But if I kill him, you will be our slaves! I defy the armies of Israel today! Send me a man who will fight me!’ When Saul and the Israelites heard this, they were terrified and deeply shaken... (David) picked up five smooth stones from a stream and put them into his shepherd’s bag. Then, armed only with his shepherd’s staff and sling, he started across the valley to fight the Philistine.”
1 Samuel 17:8-11, 40. NLT

Take a minute and think over these verses. Maybe you’ve heard the tale of David and Goliath hundreds of times before, maybe you never have. Either way, take a minute and let the weight of this situation sink in…

It sounds like a scene from Troy or Gladiator, where two champions face-off to determine the fate of their people. Only, here we don’t have two skilled warriors dancing off in the middle of the battlefield. Instead, we have a Philistine giant calling out to an army… and not a single fighter from Israel willing to man-up. At least, not until David, a shepherd in his teens, appears on the scene… And he is fresh off the farm.

The tale of David and Goliath has likely been used as an analogy of overcoming the odds in life by everyone from preachers on the pulpit, to coaches in the locker room, to managers in the boardroom. Everyone is stepping up to the belief that they can take down their giants. But I am afraid that the men of our generation might be swinging at the wrong giants, for the wrong reasons, and losing their souls, or even their masculinity, in the process (Matthew 16:26).

Many succeed in business, but not marriage. Some inspire through sports, but don’t make a real dent in societal problems. Others even build a great ministry but sit with broken families. David was a man with many flaws. Just like us. But he did not allow his flaws to keep him from living his God-given purpose. His many mistakes are recorded for us to learn from, just as much as his victories. Yet, he was called a man after God’s own heart (1 Samuel 13:14).

I believe the two main reasons for this were as follow: Firstly, David sought after God with his whole heart. And second, David manned-up when faced with adversity.

We see thousands standing next to the battlefield, shaking in fear and passivity, throwing pity parties in the face of a fight. Fear, self-pity, and passivity can easily become comfort zones. If we keep playing the victim, we never become the victor.

Then, David steps out. Full of faith and ready to show these soldiers what manning-up looks like. Getting a Godly grip on the situation at hand. Showing that courage is to man-up with faith and conviction in the face of fear and adversity. Courage is realizing that we are not fearful slaves of circumstance, but faith-filled sons of a living God. Courage means getting a grip on our challenges by taking proper action.

Yet, if David had so much faith, why five stones then? Well, one theory is that Goliath had four relatives on the same battlefield that day. Four other giants who David’s elite soldiers took off the map in later battles (2 Samuel 21:15-22). But on this day, David was ready to take down these giants himself, and therefore he picked up five stones to man-up for the battle. And through this Bible study we are also picking up five stones that are essential for Godly men who will man-up to their everyday battles.

So, let’s pick up our own staff and slingshot, take courage, and get a grip on what it truly means to man-up!

Meditations on Manning-up:

- What strikes you most about the story of David stepping up to face Goliath?

- What doubts, insecurities, challenges, or situations currently keep you from becoming a better man? How can you man-up to it?

- What do you need to pray for today?