"Crisis Management" ... a Lesson from David

Crisis Management…A lesson from David

I really enjoyed my study of David and Goliath this week. That is a story that I have loved since being a very young man in Sunday school. However, this past week I have read it with some new insight. When you stop and think about it…this is really a great story for us to learn some lessons about how to handle crisis in our lives. Perhaps this story could be a short seminar in “Crisis Management.” In 1 Samuel 17 we see young David having to deal with the 3c’s…crisis, critics, and a contest. Let’s take a few moments and learn from this wise young man.

First, David had to deal with the crisis at hand. David comes on to the scene and hears Goliath taunting the Israelite army and daring them to send even one man to fight him. The stakes were high for this prize fight. If the Israelite won then Goliath and the Philistines would become the slaves to the Israelites, but if Goliath won then the Israelites would lose their freedom. When you stop and think about it Goliath was indeed a huge threat to Israel’s national security. When David arrived he was appalled that no one had taken Goliath up on His offer. You see, David had a different perspective than everyone else in the Kings army. Everyone else thought Goliath was too big to be defeated but David remembered that God was bigger than any problem he would ever encounter. When we remember who God is it should help put our crisis in perspective and give us the motivation to step forward and deal with the crisis at hand. One thing is for sure….if we don’t handle our crisis, our crisis will handle us.

Second, David had to deal with critics. You know anytime you try to do something wonderful for God you will have critics. David’s biggest critic was his brother Eliab. As soon as David began to speak of defeating Goliath, Eliab began to attack David’s motives and integrity. What I love about this chapter is that it shows us how David handled his critic. After Eliab is finished insulting David the Bible say’s in verse 30 that David “then turned away to someone else and brought up the same matter.” In other words, David refused to be swayed by the critics. When the critics begin to rear their ugly heads we must learn not to be distracted. Whatever you do please don’t allow a critic to cause you to disregard your dream or your mission. It is better for you to disregard your critic!

Finally, David had to face a contest. When David stepped up to the plate he proved to everyone that he had more character, integrity and faith than anyone else in the Kings army….including the King! Even though Goliath tried to intimidate him, David responded with confidence and passion. He assured Goliath that this battle’s outcome was not in his own hands but rather the outcome of the battle was in God’s hands. I believe that one thing that separated David from the others that day was his belief in God’s goodness and faithfulness. David knew that God was good and faithful and that meant he could trust God completely.

We need not let the giants of life get us down. We can remember this story and trust in the same God that David placed his trust in. The good news is that God is still bigger than any problems we will face. And God is still good and faithful to his followers. So let’s face our giants and let’s give God the glory each time one of them falls!!