Be the hero of your own story. That’s kind of how we’re encouraged to look at life today. The idea that if you believe in something strongly enough, if you’re willing to put yourself out there and take risks, you can make things happen in your life - whether it’s in the business world, your relationships, your own sense of well-being. You can achieve your goals, and people are going to see it and acknowledge your success.

The Bible is filled with stories like that - or at least stories that seem to fit that description, and the one that seems to stand out the most is the story of David and Goliath. But I think it’s easy sometimes to miss the message, particularly in a culture where we tend to make everything about “us.”

When we see this story referenced today, particularly in more secular contexts, it tends to focus on self-confidence and trust, not being intimidated just because the obstacle looks imposing. It focuses on the idea of a long-shot winning against the odds. We use this story to explain why tiny colleges often send undermanned teams into a game and upset clearly superior teams with better resources and athletic skill. 

Except there’s more to that story, as any Bible school student will tell you. Because in reality, David isn’t the true hero of this story!