David was the youngest. The three eldest followed Saul, but David went back and forth from Saul to feed his father’s sheep at Bethlehem. For forty days the Philistine came forward and took his stand, morning and evening.
And Jesse said to David his son, “Take for your brothers an ephah of this parched grain, and these ten loaves, and carry them quickly to the camp to your brothers. Also take these ten cheeses to the commander of their thousand. See if your brothers are well, and bring some token from them.”
— 1 Samuel 17:14–18
It’s no secret that having a good attitude can positively impact your life. If we all know this, why is developing a good attitude so difficult? It’s because most of us subscribe to the fake-it-till-you-make-it philosophy of life change. Spoiler alert: it doesn’t work. But here is the secret sauce, and knowing this truth will be a game changer: your attitude is a result of your focus.
Take David in this story, for example. When faced with a giant, David asks the men around him, “Who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he should defy the armies of the living God?” David knows that Goliath is not just a physical giant, but he is also defying the armies of the living God. David’s attitude towards Goliath reflects his belief in God’s power and his trust in God to deliver him.
He says, “The Lord who delivered me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear, He will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.” David’s faith in God is evident in his words and attitude. He knows God is bigger than Goliath. What sets David apart here is that instead of focusing on the threats of a giant, he focuses on the power of God. He knew that God was his strength. He was not relying on his own power but on God’s power.
Your focus matters. When you are faced with an impossible task or know you need to make an impossible life change, focus on God. He’s bigger than your impossible situation. Looking to him will change everything.
Prayer:
Dear Lord, help us to look to you. Remind us that you are our strength, and that whatever we face in life, we face it with you. Please work in our hearts so that we may be unafraid. In Jesus’s name, amen.