SOAP No. 14: Celebrity

Scripture: David was the youngest. The three oldest followed Saul…
David asked the men standing near him, "What will be done for the man who kills this Philistine and removes this disgrace from Israel? Who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he should defy the armies of the living God?"…
David said to the Philistine, "You come against me with sword and 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. This day the Lord will hand you over to me, and I'll strike you down and cut off your head. Today I will give the carcasses of the Philistine army to the birds of the air and the beasts of the earth, and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel. All those gathered here will know that it is not by sword or spear that the LORD saves; for the battle is the Lord’s, and he will give all of you into our hands." -- 1 Samuel 17:14, 26, 45-47

Observation: Most of us have heard this story from childhood – the story of David and Goliath. It’s become so cliché in our culture, in fact, that we often use the term “David and Goliath” to describe when a smaller (in terms of physical size or any type of power) person/business goes up against the bigger person/business. However, I chose these particular verses for a reason, and I want some characteristics to be noted:

• David was the youngest son and was not chosen to follow Saul.
• David seemed appalled at the thought that no one would go in the name of the Lord and kill the Philistine.
• David (though not in these verses) refused to put on any heavy armor. He was fearless and confident of a victory from God and for His glory – not for his (David’s) own glory.

Application: This is not the first time we see David in 1 Samuel, but it does give us a great look into his character. David was just like all of us are in our youth: fearless, confident, feeling as if he could take on the world – and he did. He was passionate and willing to take risks, but, unlike many teenagers in society today, he depended solely on God.

And now let’s think about the David of the (his) future: a king. A man who would be described as after the Lord’s own heart. A man who would commit adultery with a beautiful woman – the wife of one of his own soldiers. A man who would commit murder to hide his sin. Who is this man?

Do we not see this same pattern (maybe not the murder part) with celebrities today? I think one of the greatest examples is Britney Spears. She was a cute teen, a Mouseketeer in her early days, who turned into one of the greatest public meltdowns of this decade. What went wrong? (And, yes, I have a feeling we all could write a lengthy work of what exactly DID go wrong…)

And, drawing closer to home, think about us. Were we not passionate in high school and in college? Did we not want to set the world on fire for Jesus? Have we become so burdened down with work and grad school and family responsibilities that we don't have time for our First Love(Gee, I wonder who I’m talking about…haha!)? Where is the PASSION??

One of my husband’s greatest attributes is his passion. He’s either in all the way or not at all (which can sometimes be a fault, too). He gives everything to what he’s committed to. It’s quite astounding, really.

I think a lot of us don’t really become lazy but let other things get in the way of our passion and desire for God. Think about this month! What do you have on your agenda? I know that just in the next couple of days I have THREE (that’s right, THREE by Saturday) Christmas parties (actually four, but I cannot attend all of them), volunteer work that needs to be completed today, a cousin who is having a baby, and, of course, work every day. And next week is not looking better.

But…I can either whine or complain…or I can draw strength from the Lord.

Hmmm….I wonder which I’ll choose. ;)

Prayer: God, this should be a happy time, a wonderful time to celebrate the best Christmas present of all – Your son. Please do not let me get caught up with all the things I “need” to do and forget my passion for You. Let me remember my true calling, my true occupation is showing You to others. Nothing is more important than You.