I have always found the story of David and Goliath to be a fascinating one. When you get past the kid facts and get into the real meat of the lesson, there are so many treasures to uncover. One of my favorite parts of the story is that David passes on the high honor of using the king’s armor instead opting for what he was familiar with: his sling and stones.

In Saul’s armor, David would have looked intimidating, important, and impressive. He would had oohs and ahhs as he passed the cowardly men on his way to face the mouthy enemy. Wielding Saul’s very own sword would have felt powerful. Were selfies in existence back then, couldn’t you imagine the awesome picture of David wearing the king of Israel’s armor? But that wasn’t David.

No, David was a shepherd. David was a musician. He wasn’t a trained fighter. He wasn’t an arrogant solider. He was tender hearted, eager to please God, and valiant against every enemy. That is why he used what he knew, because he could do the best job armed with experience over glitz and glamour.

Think about your life. What trials and hardships have you experienced? Instead of walking around in the armor of “everything’s fine!”, use what you know? If you’ve been through a divorce, help others going through the same thing. If you’ve experienced the loss of a spouse or a child, help others who are grieving. If you’ve been through anything at all – and you have – use it. Have you struggled with addiction? Did you overcome sins of the tongue? Whatever you’ve been through, use it.

One of the beauties of the church is that it’s a family. Within this family, we help each other. We’re real with each other. We aren’t trying to impress each other by pretending we’re sinless and perfect and have never struggled with anything. Instead, we show our brothers and sisters how to win their fights by teaching them, encouraging them, and admonishing them. But if we never admit to going through things or overcoming certain things, no one’s the better for it. We aren’t better for going through it, and we aren’t helping someone better themselves either.

For all of you out there who come here and read my blog from time to time, I want you to know that you can come here (to me) anytime. You can come if you’ve struggled with bitterness, because I certainly have. You can come if your parents get divorced and you’re hurting, because I’ve been there. You can come if you struggle with being rude, because I definitely have. You can come here if you struggle with purity, because I have. No, I’ve never struggled with alcohol or homosexuality or stealing or adultery or pornography. I’ve never dealt with the loss of a spouse or had a wayward child. But I know people who have, and I can refer you to those brothers & sisters, because that’s what it’s about. All of us, pooling our resources and experiences, and helping each other get to heaven.

Let’s stop masking our struggles and start helping other people become triumphant. Let’s show others how God has worked in our lives and help them accept His help, too.