It's a malady I've suffered from as long as I can remember...
Sheep shame.
An ashamed-of-himself shepherd who wants to be in the giant-killing business.
But the only shepherds who successfully kill giants are the ones who celebrate who they are.
1 Samuel 17:39
David fastened his sword to his armor and tried to walk, for he had not tested them. And David said to Saul, “I cannot walk with these, for I have not tested them.” So David took them off.
Most of us, if we were David, would assume that the encumbering, ill-fitting, giant-killing armor was proof that we couldn't kill giants.
We would conclude that we were the unreliable and inadequate variable in the equation.
David perceived that it was the armor that wasn't reliable and adequate for him.
The armor was the problem. Not David.
David had tested his shepherd armor and proven it reliable; he had not tested Saul's king armor.
The only sensible thing to do was to fight as a shepherd and not a king.
Do you think yourself incapable and ashamed when someone else's methods, beliefs, expectations, or understandings didn't fit you?
Don't be ashamed of the sheep.
The pasture is a proving ground like a battle field if our hearts are fully present and vigilant.
What you learn today in relative safety and social ignominy is what you need to kill your giants tomorrow.
Take off the things that don't fit and go fight giants, shepherd.
Pastor Joshua
I did at one time feel very incapable when someone else’s methods and expectations, and even understandings didn’t fit ME. But no more! Better late than never, right? I have my own armor which fits me perfectly. It was God-given. That’s not to say I didn’t learn lessons from observing someone else’s armor. But I can’t let someone else try to “fit” their armor on me, or that I should try to “fit” it on myself.
As you know, I am an “oldster” now. I look back and would have loved to have learned this lesson way earlier than I did. I appreciate you, as a man of God, who is not afraid to preach/share this to his sheep. As one develops their relationship, that is, deepens it, they will find what “fits” them.
This is a necessary part of growing up in Jesus, I think. Learning to love oneself and love what God has given each of us. And you’re absolutely right. It is “better late than never” to learn to live your own life. I admire your tenacity and humility.
Can’t love this enough ❤️
As a matter of fact, if it wasn’t for you Pastor Josh, I would possibly still be living someone else’s life and trying to use their armor to fight.
I have had this “hat” on for quite sometime and quite too long.
Many years of trying to use the gear that was expected of me to use.
Passed down from the generation before me.
So I tried it.
And tried it.
It didn’t fit.
It didn’t work.
I tried to tell them.
Just because it worked for you, doesn’t mean it will work for me.
Because it was yours🙌
Not mine🙌
I was the ashamed Shepard that felt defeated.
Because i couldn’t do it their way.
I didn’t want to let others and God down for not using the “same armor”.
Thanks to you, I was able to throw it off and put on my OWN gear.
I threw it off without shame and wasnt looking back.
I intend to win this battle and kill every giant that stands in my way.
With my own gear🙌
My own armor 🙌
I’m in the trenches, but I’m on my way out🙌🙌
Love you Pastor Josh❤️
You are one in a million, just in case you didn’t know that 🥰
Kelli, that’s encouraging to hear! I’m honored to have had a part to play in your journey. God bless.