I Pick God for My Team

Then David said to the Philistine, “You come to me with a sword and with a spear and with a javelin, but I come to you in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. This day the LORD will deliver you into my hand, and I will strike you down and cut off your head.” 1 Samuel 17:45-46

As we watched the latest superhero movie last night, I got to thinking about today’s passage, in which David stood up to Goliath. When I was a kid, I loved that story just as I loved the story of any underdog or superhero. I daydreamed of having superpowers and vanquishing villains. I understood that superheroes were fictional, but still, I hoped that God would grant me supernatural ability to excel at sports. I knew today’s Bible story and I knew verses like this – I can do all things through him who strengthens me (Philippians 4:13). I hoped that having faith meant that we’d win the state football championship. If God was on our side, how could we lose? When we didn’t win state, I had to admit what I already knew – When I want something, I mistakenly see God as my supernatural sidekick. I interpret faith to mean that God is on my team.

To be fair, I grew up on stories like today’s, in which David, while just a teenager, faced and defeated Goliath. The entire Israel army was afraid of Goliath, but David knew God’s will and believed God was with him. Against all odds, David confronted Goliath, earning him the respect of everyone, even the king. Who wouldn’t read that story and think – I want to be like that?

My problem of course, is that I don’t want to risk my life to do God’s will. I want to use his omnipotent power to do my will. In my self-centeredness, I don’t seek what God wants. I seek what I want. In an absurd display of this, when life fell apart due to my own drug addiction, I prayed that God would supernaturally deliver me from consequences. God, get your servant out of this mess! I hadn’t been serving God though. I’d been serving me, and I tried to use God’s power for my own purposes.

The challenge in recovery then, is not to try to get God on my side, but to get myself on his side. When I’ve followed God, he has transformed my life. The temptation still though, is to confuse my will for God’s. So, daily, I must go to God, asking what he wants. Then, I must do it. It may not involve superheroes or giants, but when I follow God, I do see his miraculous power working in my life.