This encouragement is from Cindy McGarvie, the National Director of YFC Australia since June 2015.  Cindy and her husband have lived in Uganda and Tanzania for 12 years in the work of Bible translation and language development amongst marginalized people groups. Since returning to Australia in 2010, she has worked in various roles in both the public and not-for-profit sectors. She currently also serves on the board of Wycliffe Australia. Cindy and her family live in Brisbane, Australia. 

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I have been reading the book David and Goliath by Malcolm Gladwell. This story has challenged me to think creatively about weaknesses I see as disadvantages. The book is based upon the story of David and Goliath. We all know it well; the Philistines’ champion Goliath challenges the Israelites to send their own champion to fight him. The Israelites are terrorised. Everyone on both sides was expecting Israel to send their biggest, strongest and most skilled warrior, the conventional way of combat. There was a standoff.

In those times, it was the conventional way to send a champion to represent the army in hand to hand combat. This was to save entire armies going into battle.  When David volunteered, Saul, still thinking conventional, dressed David in his own attire of armour, shield and sword.  If David used these, he would have been obliterated. David chose unconventional. A way that no one was expecting.

David was a slinger. The experts say that slingers were used in the armies of the day to take down infantry combatants before they got near. Slingers were deadly accurate and could shoot down a bird in flight. As a slinger, David could confidently take down lions and bears. Goliath was expecting a warrior like himself to come forward. It never occurred to him that the battle would be fought on anything other than those terms. David ran at Goliath, took him by surprise and it was over in seconds. The Philistines fled. The Israelites, in shock, celebrated.

With that in mind, I ask the question, should we be viewing what might look like a disadvantage in the current situation as an advantage if we rethink our approach? Are we attacking problems in the conventional way and not thinking outside the box?

Today, this story of David and Goliath is entrenched in our language as a metaphor for improbable victory.

Sisters, perhaps the Lord wants us to start thinking unconventional.

Cindy McGarvie
cindy.mcgarvie@yfc.org.au