Five Stones

I’m sure most of you remember that story of David & Goliath in the Bible.  If you don’t, let me refresh your memory.  David is a simple farm boy.  He is going down to the battlefield to take lunch to his brothers.  They’re fighting the Palestinians and they have brought out their secret weapon – the giant named Goliath.  Everyone is afraid of Goliath and he is taunting the Israelites.  David arrives at the battlefield and sees what’s going on.  “Who is this uncircumcised Philistine?” he proclaims.  David has no fear.  He volunteers himself to go into battle against Goliath.  His brothers and the other men try to make him wear a piece of armor.  I can see it in my mind:  David, still a young boy, ambling around in a grown man’s armor.  I can see the helmet flapping over his eyes and his boots are too big so he stumbles and falls over.  When you think about it, it could have been a funny sight.  However, if he would have put that armor on and went before Goliath he would have been defeated. Why? 

It didn’t fit him. 

It wasn’t his.  It also was not what he was used to.  It would have been all wrong.  So instead, David used what he was used to.  He had 5 smooth stones in his pocket and that’s all he needed to kill Goliath. 

Often times we look at other people and we look at their gifts and we say, “Wow, I would love to have that gift”.  I would love to sing like that...Preach like that…Give like that.  Why can’t I speak like that?  Play like that?  I just wish I had what they had. 

But it doesn’t fit you and it’s not effective in your hands. 

Sure, someone else wearing that armor, wearing that sword would have had success, but that wasn’t David’s gifting.  He had 5 smooth stones.  You see, David had experience with those stones.  He’d killed lions & bears in the wilderness using those very same stones.  He had success before.  Because that’s what his gift was. 

Like David, you have in your hand 5 smooth stones that the Lord has given you to go into battle: your own unique gifts and talents. 

What are your 5 stones?  Are you using them to the best of your ability?  Let’s stop envying each other’s gifts.  Let’s stop emulating other people’s talents.  Instead, let’s be comfortable using the gifts we’ve been given.