Meeting And Defeating Goliath

Let's start by telling you a true story that happened to a pastor friend of mine years ago. He was single, driven, and concerned about presenting himself in a way that a pastor should when dating a girl. Eventually, he became serious about a committed Christian woman. Wanting to be a good spiritual example, he dated her for many months. Finally, he asked her a question after a long evening conversation. "May I kiss you?" he asked. Her response was, "Why? Why do you want to kiss me?" Checkmate!

Did you catch what she was asking? She is thinking, “What is your motive? Is this love, like, fun, or lust? Where are you going with this? Why do you want to kiss me?" You may be single and reading this article. There might be some wisdom in using her response. It might save a lot of heartache and counseling. 

Years ago, I heard a gifted church leader say that attitude and motive are life's two greatest “Goliaths” - as in David and Goliath. I believe that. More people have problems with attitude and their motives than any other issue. Today, let’s investigate the Goliath of human motives. 

Motive is a 'why' issue. The dictionary says motive is a reason for doing something, especially one that is hidden or not obvious. It is about character and integrity, or the lack thereof. Why do you want to be a leader? Why do you want to kiss the girl? Why do you want to be elected? Wrong motives can lead ego-driven people to destructive pursuits to the point where their end justifies any conceivable means to do it. 

When God wanted a leader for His people, He chose David, who mainly did the right things for the right reasons, despite some mistakes and missteps. As most of you know, David was not perfect, but his heart was good. There were no hidden agendas. David became a man after God’s own heart. He became someone that God could trust with his people. Here's what the Bible says about motive in leading a nation. “And David realized that the Lord had established him as king over Israel and that He had exalted his kingdom for the sake of His people Israel.” (2 Samuel 5:12) Why did God choose to exalt David? David had a heart for God’s people and God’s purposes. 

Let’s learn about David’s three qualifications that resonated with God in Psalm 78:70-72. Think of yourself as you read the qualifications.  

David’s first qualification was, "God took him from the sheepfold; from caring for nursing mother lambs and their babies to shepherding His people." Psalm 78:71. This shows that David's motive for shepherding was love. They weren't there for David; David was there for them. He remembered the adults and the children, the makers and the takers, the rich and the poor, the men and the women, and shepherded (led) the nation. 

When David was alone on the side of a hill with no one around but a bunch of sheep, he didn’t get many accolades except from God. Remember, the further separate from real people, the greater the possibility of using people rather than serving people. David had the right motive for leading a nation – love, not financial gain or vain glory. David wasn’t hiding behind the fig leaf of caring for people to get elected or connected. David cared for the people of Israel. Love wasn’t on the outside of him – love was on the inside of him.  

His second qualification was that "David shepherded them according to the integrity of his heart." Psalm 78:72. Think about it. Impure motive plus good management equals a foe as a leader. Good motive plus bad management equals “OK” as a leader. Good motive plus good management equals “Best Leader.” People would rather follow a leader who is always real than a leader who is always right. Integrity is more of a heart or motive issue. Remember, God looks at the heart first and the head second. Why? What you see on the outside of a person comes from the inside of the person.  

David's third qualification was that he "Guided them with his skillful hands…" Psalm 78:72. David understood those what, why, how, and who leadership issues. He developed people’s gifts, skills, and talents. David developed their competency and capacity, which unleashed their capacity so they could be who and what God had created them to be. He equipped people for real life so they could overcome the ups and downs of real life.  

David had good motives (heart) and good management (head), making him a great leader. Good-hearted people know how to say things. Skillful hands know how to get good things done. Aesop once said, “When all is said and done, more is said than done.” I prefer all three qualifications. How about you?  

Here’s your takeaway. Would you like to be a great person who is ready for a great position? Promotion or lack thereof is often a heart issue. Colleges or universities prepare you for the ‘what’ and maybe the ‘how’ issues, but God and the Bible prepare you for the ‘why’ or heart issues. You can have a healthy brain full of knowledge, but you will be adversely affected if you have an unhealthy heart with wrong motives. 

If you can apply this powerful Biblical wisdom, you might slay the Goliath of impure motives impeding your promotion. You could be like David when he slew Goliath, saying, "I was only trying to get a head in life."