Not that there is a real need for it in West Texas, but we have a pretty patchwork quilt on our bed. My granny actually made it, a handicraft you just don’t see much anymore. As a small girl, I would watch Granny piece quilts on her back porch … painstakingly stitching each scrap of cloth to another then another until a beautiful multi-colored, multi-patterned design emerged. Of course, she had planned the design long before she cut out the first piece of fabric. Doesn’t God do the same with His people[1]?
As a shepherd and a warrior, David had a good understanding of who he was and who God is. He fought numerous battles over the course of his life, at first defending sheep and later, Israel, against various enemies. Perhaps one of the most interesting battles pits David as a boy shepherd against Goliath, a seasoned Philistine veteran[2]. Did I mention he was also a GIANT? Defending his God was as much in keeping with David’s character as defending his father’s sheep, so David eagerly volunteered to slay Goliath. King Saul assented but insisted that David fight in the traditional way, clad in royal armor. David suited up, but it just didn’t fit. It was too heavy, too burdensome, and would only impede him, so the boy fighter threw it off. David relied instead on armor befitting the young shepherd … a staff and a slingshot. Not fancy but proven. (With his own weapons he had already killed the lion and the bear that attacked his father’s sheep.) You see, David was not only content but also effective being who God had created him to be. He wasn’t interested in being someone else … or wearing someone else’s gear … or following established tradition for warfare. David accomplished his mission. He killed Goliath! He glorified God not only by doing what he was created to do, but also by being who he was created to be! It was all part of God’s design to reveal Himself … to David, Israel, and eventually, us.
As Christians, our mission does not necessitate lockstep uniformity any more than David’s battle required the use of customary weapons. As you carry out your ministry, you may see that it looks different from someone else carrying out his. The church itself looks like a mosaic, a Divinely designed patchwork, like Granny’s quilt. The pieces work in concert, not because they are the same but because they differ. David fought differently from the soldiers of his day but the result speaks for itself! God creates uniquely gifted individuals to be on mission, not cookie-cutter clones. He calls His followers by name … without asking us to check our individuality at the door. He calls us to engage in battle, equipping us one by one for kingdom work. Most assuredly, He does not ask us to put on someone else’s armor or do our ministry someone else’s way so we can be poor imitators of each other. We are called to imitate God[3], to love Him, to love others, to be and make disciples. If we do these things by being the individuals He created us to be, then we will truly see who God is.
1. Ephesians 2.10 ...... 2. 1 Samuel 17......3. Ephesians 5.1-2
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