Slingshot vs. Sword

I believe society has shifted the role of a father, which in return has a bunch of men running around with swords, but none that know how to operate a slingshot. Let me explain…

In 1 Samuel 17, there is a story about a shepherd boy named David and a giant warrior named Goliath. In this story, we find a Philistine giant mocking the armies of Israel. The Bible says for forty days, the Philistine army and the Israelite army lined up and faced each other every morning and evening.

While facing each other in their battle positions, for forty days this Philistine giant would step forth twice a day, morning and evening, to taunt the Israelite army. At one point he shouted: “Choose someone to fight for you, and I will represent the Philistines. We will settle this dispute in single combat! If your man is able to kill me, then we will be your slaves. But if I kill him, you will be our slaves!” (Samuel 17:8-6). 1 Samuel 17:11 says, “On hearing the Philistine’s words, Saul and all the Israelites were dismayed and terrified” (NIV).

As fathers, we want to train our boys to be warriors. We want strong, confident, intelligent men who grow up to be great leaders! Somehow in our quest to create warriors, we’ve equipped them with the wrong tools for the battle they will eventually face.

There is a young David in every little boy that is born. That “little David” will eventually face his “Goliath,” and if we have taught him to fight with a sword and spear and not a slingshot and stones, he will be defeated. David was raised with a different set of tools, tools that meant nothing in society—the type of tools that weren’t valued by warriors on the front line, by men who were out “crushing it.”

In 1 Samuel 17:43-46, David and Goliath made an epic exchange. David and Goliath walked toward each other to fight. Goliath yelled out at David and said, “Do you think I am a dog coming to me with a stick?” (v. 43, CEV). He then basically said, “I’m about to rip you to pieces and feed your flesh to the birds and wild animals.” David responded with one of the greatest lines in the Bible. He said “You come against me with sword, spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the LORD Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied” (NLT).

David had a skill that isn’t taught or valued as a whole by society and that is the ability to chase presence over position. He had a desire to build his personal relationship with his Father in Heaven instead of his earthly résumé. His hunger for presence over his ability to perform is what motivated him!

In life, there is always someone that is going to be bigger, faster, smarter, and stronger than you! Eventually you will come against a giant. Eventually you will meet your match. Instead of allowing that giant to haunt you every morning and every night, you have to stand up and say, “The Lord who rescued me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will rescue me from the hand of this Philistine.” 

David was able to say that to Saul because he spent his time alone in the field with God. He was raised to rely fully on God! He understood that the world may fight with sword or spear, but God taught him to fight a different way.

It breaks my heart to see men run around with their swords fighting battles and some of them actually becoming great warriors. Some men have actually been raised from a little boy to grow up and be a great warrior just like Goliath. They have conquered many battles and have been praised by many people. Unfortunately, their personal desire to become a great warrior has cost them and their kids everything. 

Goliath was a great warrior, and he lost his life to a little shepherd boy. David wasn’t there to prove how great of a warrior he was. His first response was “Who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he should defy the armies of the living God?” (NIV). He was there to prove how great God is!

Men spend their whole life trying to become Goliath when all God has ever wanted was for them to be in a field to tend, protect, and feed His sheep. God’s sheep could represent your kids. 

From that field, God will send you into the battles He has designed for you! You were never meant to spend your whole life chasing a successful career in the eyes of other men in order to satisfy your selfish ambitions. 

It’s always been about His sheep.

We have to stop sacrificing our kids on the altar of ambition.

The field is where you find out how to be a father. The field is where you find out how to trust God. The field is where you transition your mindset of “It’s up to me” to “It’s up to God.”

Society doesn’t teach you about the field. This is definitely counter to the cultural norm. Think about it. All those warriors in the Israelite camp and not one man was bold and confident enough to stand up against Goliath. For forty days. Not one…

Why are we seeing marriage after marriage crumble? Why are we seeing fathers fleeing homes right and left? Why are we seeing the complete absence of godly men? It’s because they are all out on the battlefield trying to develop enough courage to face their Goliath. Masking their insecurities in their man-made armor, standing there, hoping someone else will get enough courage to rescue them.

Let this be a call to all men and fathers. Let’s raise our kids to be more like David instead of Goliath. Society values the physique and skill of Goliath. Society promotes Goliath. Society praises Goliath. Society places Goliath on a man-made pedestal. 

The reality is God needs more sons like David. God needs more men confident enough in themselves to raise up sons like David. A warning to all men who take this challenge: Your David will be an unknown little boy from an unknown father. 

1 Samuel 17:58 says Saul asked “Whose son are you, young man?” (NIV). This was after David defeated Goliath. They had no clue who his father was. 

If you’re chasing promotions, platforms, and popularity, you better begin training them to be Goliath at a young age. The field doesn’t produce famous people. The field produces sons who fear God!

It’s the sons like David who will have the courage to stand up against the “Goliaths” of the day. If you want to raise men who value praises of other men over the presence of God, you are guaranteed to raise a man that will always be defeated by his Goliath. Teach your little boy to run to the field to build his relationship with God instead of running to the world to build his résumé.

With my sons my only agenda is to teach them to find some stones and run to the field with their slingshots. I will not succumb to the pressure of society and raise them to chase anything other than their heavenly Father in a field where no one will know their names. 

My one prayer for them is that in that field, they will hear the words, “This is my beloved son, in whom I am well pleased” (Matthew 3:17). 

I only recently heard those words myself. I spent thirty years chasing down those words from other people. When I heard it from my Father in a field in the middle of nowhere, it changed everything.

My prayer is that men will put down their swords and pick up some stones and run to the field…