The Sunday Mail
Pastor Tinashe Zinyemba
THE second school term has started, and we are entering the exam season for those who are in tertiary education.
Our prayers are with you if you fall in this category. All the best! Life is full of challenges and sometimes because you are young the challenges you face can easily be belittled. By young here I am referring to age obviously.
But it also applies to money, your position in the family, your qualifications, and a number of other situations that you can find yourself in and you are the “younger” one there.
David faced a similar situation in 1Samuel 17v28 where Eliab, his older brother, was belittling him and not giving him audience even though there was a genuine problem at hand.
No matter who you are at some point in your life you will face challenges and as a youth it might be difficult to get the assistance that you need
or you might be powerless to effectively contribute to
the solution. I’d like to advise you to be like David in 1 Samuel 17.
Your problem is like a
Goliath, a giant who is more experienced and has
been around longer than you have.
The first thing that David did was that he acknowledged that he was in crisis, hence he went around trying to understand the nature of his giant and decided that his life could not continue with the existence of this giant.
He decided to immediately act on the problem.
Some people will pretend that everything is normal which can easily result in it affecting your performance in other areas of your life.
Your giant could be the coming exams, school fees, a relationship, can’t get a job, health, family problems and many more.
The first thing you have to do is to acknowledge that there is a problem that needs to be dealt with. It’s called taking responsibility.
Second, keep it simple.
When David decided to deal with the giant, King Saul offered David his armour. David was not accustomed to using these weapons and he looked silly in them.
Sometime we choose to complicate our own situations by not being in control of our emotions, or sometimes we involve ourselves with people or behaviours that
actually make our situations worse.
For example we get into relationships for the wrong reasons and engage in unhealthy or risky behaviour.
Some who cannot handle pressure will try to handle the stress by being unnecessarily violent or having a bad attitude.
Others will engage in alcohol and drug abuse, others quit school or run away from home, some even attempt suicide.
You’ll find that this complicates the situation rather than improve it.
David realised that by wearing the king’s armour he would be complicating his life and that he would be defeated. He humbly declined the offer and faced his giant.
Keep it simple – don’t complicate an already difficult situation.
Third, David made use of the resources that he had. He did not try to borrow or import a solution.
What resources do you have at your immediate disposal? David made use of the sling shot and a few stones that he was able to find.
Some of you are naturally gifted in a particular area, or have a unique ability if it can help you in your situation, make use of it now.
What is it that is in your power to control? You have control over your time,
your emotions, it’s up to you how you respond when provoked.
If exams are your giant take more time to study, if your situation is family related well help out around the house what is it that you can do to lighten the mood in the home.
Be like David; do that which is in your power to do and leave the rest to God. All he did was to throw the stone with all of his strength and trust God for the giant to fall.
Challenges are a part of life and you will realise that the older you get doesn’t necessarily mean that there will be less challenges.
In fact they actually increase. Christ said in Matthew 11v28, “Come to me all ye that labour and are heavy laden and I will give you rest.”
After all is said and done trust in the Lord, and believe in Him to make a way for you. 1Peter 5v7 says, “Casting all your cares on Him; for He careth for you.”
Till next time. God bless.
The writer is a pastor with New Life Covenant Church. Please email feedback at [email protected]
