The Idol of Safety

1 Samuel 16:18 (ESV) One of the young men answered, “Behold, I have seen a son of Jesse the Bethlehemite, who is skillful in playing, a man of valor, a man of war, prudent in speech, and a man of good presence, and the Lord is with him.”

Where do we get the idea that a safe and conflict-free environment is the best arena in which to raise a child or grow ourselves? This is not how the Lord grows His children. Why do we kick against God's repeated manner of training in hopes that we can spare our loved ones and/or ourselves the hardship of conflict when we KNOW it will ultimately come our way?

What does the servant of Saul say about David? Mind you, Saul is looking for someone to play the harp so he can get through wicked fits brought upon him for his rebellion. And you would have it in your mind (as I do I) that a harp player is someone who has not exactly had a rough and tumble upbringing. Surely the harp player in YOUR mind is someone with no callouses and smooth skin. 

David is not your average harpist. He is described (in addition to harp skills) as "a man of valor, a man of war". Translation? This boy has seen some battles. He has experienced conflict in his youth. Now we know about the bear and lion from his own testimony before Saul. But this chapter speaks of his "war" experience and "valor." 

Remember what it said about the Philistines during this time. They were constantly raiding and pillaging the people of Israel. Surely David witnessed this first hand. That's the "war" part of his experience. But David did not sit idly by. He must have engaged in a few skirmishes during his youth. What is more, based on how he approaches the Goliath situation, he probably initiated most of them! That's the "valor" part.

If David is someone God will use so mightly, it might be good for us to learn that his willingness to face a dangerous conflict with Goliath did not spring out of nowhere. No, the Lord had let David grow up in the midst of a national crisis surrounded by conflict. This was his training ground.

Now it makes sense to me that if God would use such an arena for David, perhaps we should look at our conflicts not as disturbances to our peace, but God's growth plan for our empowerment! Perhaps if we thought this way, our hearts would widen in the strength God gives so that we can face those troubles to come with boldness and not hesitance.

God honors courage. 

Consider the boldness of the two servants in Jesus' parable of the talents who return with double their initial investment as opposed to third servant's fearful hiding of his master's property. The master strongly denounces that hesitant servant. 

Consider what Hebrews says about those who "shrink back":

Hebrews 10:38 (ESV) my righteous one shall live by faith, and if he shrinks back, my soul has no pleasure in him.”

Finally, consider the end of the Bible. In Revelation, judgment comes upon who?
Revelation 21:8 (ESV) But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.”
Yes, lined up with the "sexually immoral, sorcerers and idolaters" are the COWARDS! 

The Proverb says: "the righteous are bold as a lion." Proverbs 28:1 (ESV). 
Now as Christians we know we get our righteousness NOT from our good works but from the Lord's good work for us. He imputes His righteousness into our record. And He does this in order to make you bold and courageous for the battle and conflict He has assigned to you yet to come. So maybe instead of playing "conflict-avoidance" with our lives, we can take a hint from the conflict-ridden list of men and women God used repeatedly in the scriptures. They were raised in troubled times and it forged them for the fires of life with the FIRE OF GOD.