One of the best examples of fight comes from the famous story of David and Goliath. Even if you’ve never picked up a Bible in your life, you probably know the gist. The little guy beats the giant. But there’s more to it than that.
The Philistines had come to wage war against the Israelites. They had a secret weapon—Goliath. He was a force to be reckoned with. A giant warrior decked out in the strongest armor. They were so confident in Goliath’s military prowess that they were willing to go all-in on their champion.
The challenge was simple. Israel would put forth their best soldier to fight Goliath. Mano a mano. The winner would determine the victory of the battle; the losing nation would become slaves of the winners. Great idea if you are a Philistine. Not so much for Israel. Why? They didn’t have any giants.
For forty days, morning and night, Goliath came out and taunted the Israelite army. King Saul and the Israelite army were dismayed and greatly afraid. They had the fight knocked out of them. The soldiers were tired and scared. The odds were not good, and they knew it. King Saul tried to recruit an Israelite champion by offering riches, fame, and even his daughter’s hand in marriage. No one stepped forward.
Enter David. He’s a scrawny teenage boy. He is the youngest of all his siblings—the runt of the pack. When the rest of his family goes off to war, he is left behind to take care of the sheep. One day he goes down to the front lines to deliver food for his brothers. He hears the taunts from Goliath. David doesn’t get it. Why has no one accepted the challenge?
“I’ll do it,” David volunteers.
“David doesn’t get it. Why has no one accepted the challenge?”
King Saul isn’t so sure. “You are not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him, for you are but a youth, and he has been a man of war from his youth” (1 Samuel 17:33, NIV). Maybe when you’re older. Hit the gym; then we’ll talk. Grow a beard. Yet David isn’t taking “no” for an answer. He knows other candidates aren’t exactly lining up, so he lists his resume.
“I’ve protected my sheep from a lion and bear; I can take Goliath.” You’ve got to credit David with confidence. Killing a fully armed professional soldier is a little more complicated than scaring off wild animals from a flock. David doesn’t know that. Even if he did, he doesn’t care. His confidence is not mere naïveté; he believes God is with him. “The Lord who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine” (1 Samuel 17:37, NIV).
For some reason, Saul agrees to send this kid into battle, and the rest is history. David wins the fight with a well-aimed rock from his slingshot. He gets the money, the fame, and the girl. He goes on to become the King of Israel. David and Goliath is the original underdog story. It amazes and inspires us. And the truth is any of us can learn to fight like David.
Fighting for a cause.
David believed that beating Goliath was of the utmost importance. The stakes were high. He didn’t want his whole nation to become Philistine slaves. There is a massive difference between “somebody should do something about that” and “I have to do something.” For example, maybe when we see a light bulb that’s gone out at our favorite restaurant, we think somebody else should do something about that. We don’t have much skin in the game. However, when our own career is on the line, we know we have to do something. When the fight is personal, we’ll do whatever it takes to win.
Do you believe what you are doing with your life matters? Many people do mediocre work because they think what they are doing has little meaning. Those who think they are living out their calling give it everything they’ve got. If you want a cause worth fighting for, you need a cause that’s bigger than yourself. Motivation crumbles if a job is just another way to pay the bills. In whatever you do, look for the people. You might not need to change careers or switch degree programs to get your fight back. Shift your mindset to see how what you are currently doing helps people.
“Shift your mindset to see how what you are currently doing helps people.”
Maybe you’re already in your sweet spot. Run with it. If you’ve lost your purpose somewhere along the way, remember what got you into your line of work in the first place. How are you helping? If you wrestle about that question for a week and honestly can’t come up with an answer, maybe a career change is a good option. Life is too short to live for ourselves. Once you are in touch with your calling, you have a cause worth fighting for. It’ll allow you to endure more than you can imagine. You’ll get up early and stay up late because what you are doing is about more than yourself. 
Rhythm of rest.
The Israelite soldiers on the front lines were exhausted, short on supplies, and humiliated from Goliath’s constant taunting. The senior leader in that elder meeting was tired from years of ministry. If fatigue is the great enemy of a fight, rest prepares us for it. David was itching to see some action. He had been at home watching sheep. When he brought his brothers food, he was looking for an opportunity to get involved. Kind of like David, I was an eager 26-year-old who couldn’t wait to make a difference. We have to be resting well enough to have the energy to fight when it matters most. If we’re all fight and no rest, it’s only a matter of time until we burn out.
A saying I live by is, “Work hard, rest hard.” Both are incredibly important. I take the work I do seriously. Some seasons are busier than others. The season I’m in right now involves a $500K fundraising campaign, a building renovation on a 110-year-old building, and a church merger. All of this is on top of regular ministry duties and navigating the major cultural shifts in the post-COVID world. Somehow every week, to my surprise, I get everything done.
“Work hard, rest hard.”
I work hard because I believe what I’m doing matters. I hope that people will experience renewal and revival when our church is on track. I get the opportunity to tell people that God loves them and wants to give them abundant life. Pastors have one of the more naturally fulfilling jobs out there. However, pastors are also notorious for burnout. I talk to church leaders all the time, and I can tell you that many of them are both physically and emotionally exhausted. Even though the ministry dropout rate seems to be slowing down, still 33% of American pastors seriously considered quitting in the last year.[1] I also take rest very seriously. I choose not to bring work home with me so that I can be present with my family. I have screen time limits on my phone, so I’m not distracting my soul into oblivion. I practice Sabbath rest every Friday night to Saturday night. The Sabbath is just as much about what you do as what you don’t do. It’s a day to connect with God, with yourself, and with others. Rest hard. Don’t live every day like it’s a fight—it’s not. Don’t waste your energy boxing the air so that you have nothing left when Goliath shows up. Consistently commit to a rhythm of refreshment so that you’re ready for the fight of your life. Many people talk about a work/life balance. They should be talking about a work/rest balance. Work and rest in a proper ratio make a balance, and the best leaders figure this out.
Confidence beyond yourself.
It wasn’t David’s confidence in himself that made him go toe-to-toe with Goliath. He didn’t overestimate his strength. Fight isn’t about thinking you’re bigger or better than you are. And David didn’t underestimate Goliath. We’ll never win by pretending our problems aren’t real. Rather, David had confidence beyond himself. He knew that God was with him, and that changed the equation. There comes a breaking point where the opposition we face is truly more than we can take. In moments like these, our strength has to come from somewhere outside of ourselves.
You are the resident expert on your weaknesses. If you’re paying attention, nobody knows your failures better than you. When resistance rises in your life, the voices in your head will start going off like alarm bells. Every insecurity will rise to the surface, and you’ll want to run away or give up.
“You can’t do this.”
“Just quit.”
“Get a real job.”
“You’re not _____ enough.” Fill in the blank.
“It wasn’t David’s confidence in himself that made him go toe-to-toe with Goliath.”
In times like these, we need more than our willpower to fight. Stop calculating the odds. Instead of focusing on what you don’t have, take an inventory of what you do have. David had five smooth stones and a slingshot. Your confidence might come from great teammates, technology, resources, or strategy. I’ve found that the only unshakeable foundation that can hold the total weight of my problems is Jesus. Prayer is the fuel that keeps me moving forward. “What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?” (Romans 8:31, NIV). If he’s not already, Jesus can be the foundation you depend on when storms come your way.
[1] Barna Group, “Hopeful Increases: Pastors Are More Optimistic About the Future,” Barna Research, https://www.barna.com/research/hopeful-increases-pastors/.
Excerpted from Josh Branham, What Are You Waiting For? A Young Leader’s Guide to Changing the World.
