The art of turning away

David turned away from his detractors and turned to his vision. That was a difficult decision that he had to make, but that decision became a turning point in his life. Without that, the trajectory of his life and that of the nation of Israel might have been quite different. 

“It can’t be done. It won’t work. You’re wasting your time. It’s been tried before. It’s not your job, stay out of it.” Sounds familiar? These are the voices of detractors. 

They’ll oppose every plan you have and get in the way of progress every time. Before you even take that first step, they’ll tell you that your journey will be fruitless. 

As a young man, David heard the taunts of the mighty, powerful Goliath who opposed his nation. While the soldiers’ hearts filled with fear, David’s heart was ignited with vision and purpose. He said:

“What shall be done for the man who kills this Philistine and takes away the reproach from Israel? For who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God? (1 Samuel 17:26) 

David’s heart erupted with this clear, distinct vision to step out and move forward with boldness while everyone else cowered under fear. 

But his vision quickly met with detractors who said it couldn’t be done. These were his elder brothers who were sure it couldn’t be done. They knew. They were experienced. They were warriors. They were recognized. They were the king’s men. They said NO! 

But David . . . he turned away. And turned toward his vision. He knew that if he listened to the voices of his detractors he’d never accomplish the vision God put in his heart. The vision goes against reality. Even common sense would oppose it. But a God given vision has a sense of bypassing all the detractors if you’re willing to turn away from them. 

For sure you want to turn away from your detractors, but there are often inhibitions within that hold us back. Fear, doubt, and confusion are some of the most common inhibitions that detract us. Learn to identify what’s within that holds you back from the vision that God gave you. Turn away from those inhibitions and turn toward your vision. 

– – –➤

* Join the conversation. Share your thoughts in the comments on yourBarnabas.com and share this post with others. 

* Listen to my podcast Live well, Lead well.

* You might like to watch videos I post on Youtube.