Updated Monday, May 19, 2008

David: agent of change

By Milton A. Hollifield Jr.

BSC Executive Director-Treasurer

When David, the shepherd boy, entered Jerusalem after his victory against Goliath in the valley of Elah (1 Sam. 17:19-23), everyone knew that something miraculous had happened.

For years under the leadership of King Saul, Israel had slipped into disobedience against God. They had not driven out the Jebusites (a Canaanite tribe) and did just as God predicted they would do if they allowed the Canaanites to remain. Against God's direction, they intermarried with them and began to quickly fall away from God, their protector.

Therefore, the Philistines had once again begun to plunder the Israelites and were threatening to subdue the nation of Israel, but God prevailed through the leadership of David.

David struck down Goliath when he was no more than a teenager, and God quickly raised him up as just the kind of change agent the nation needed to get back on track.

This greatly angered King Saul, the very person who had summoned young David to serve in his court. Saul quickly grew jealous and at one point attempted to murder David.

Nevertheless, David's youth did not cause him to make foolish mistakes at this point in his life. His courage, vision, and respect for Saul despite his many failures, and careful obedience to God's word prepared the way for him to serve as a change agent for Israel by calling them back to their commitment to the God who freed them from slavery in Egypt and brought them into the promised land.

David brought positive change to Israel as a young man by never bad-mouthing Saul or overtly pointing out his many inadequacies. Rather, he prayed and patiently waited on God to divinely arrange key moments where he could lead by example and courageously, yet respectfully, call Israel back to God. Soon, David was king over all Israel.

In the same way, churches often need change agents to come and carefully minister to them and their need of renewal.

Young pastors should take note of David's role as a change agent and seek to imitate his actions. The age of a pastor need not be an impediment for implementing effective change in a congregation.

The Baptist State Convention of North Carolina needs young leaders who are careful to lead in ways like David - to patiently speak the truth in love to older generations of Christians who have sacrificed so much that they might have the opportunity to serve the Lord's church.

So many churches stand in critical need of renewal by the Spirit of God, and the Lord often sends a young man into an old church to accomplish something by His grace which is nothing short of miraculous.

Listen to and pray for the young man who leads your congregation. Mutual respect can be a valuable ingredient when change is necessary. He might just be the change agent for which you have prayed so long to see.

And all this assembly shall know that the LORD saveth not with sword and spear: for the battle is the LORD's, and he will give you into our hands. 1 Sam. 17:47.