What Would David Think?

Lately I’ve started my running regimen again, and for the first time am going to try to train up to a reasonable 10K time along with the rest of the weightlifting that I’ve been doing. 

It’s slow going, but even as I crumpled up my brow in distress and lower-body lactic acid buildup, I smiled knowing that I was going to do it, and it would be well. 

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God doesn’t bless the sluggard; but He does bless the diligent with training. I realized as I ran down the track that when it comes to different things in my spiritual walk, I consult different masters (under the One Master, of course). 

For instance, when it comes to intellect and wisdom, I read carefully not only what Jesus had to say, but also the writings of Solomon and Paul. 

I mean, whose nostrils don’t flare at the beautiful truth in Ecclesiastes, for instance?

But when it comes to physical training, I think of David, that warrior for God, after His own heart. 

He trained up and down, and would have none of the excuses we make for ourselves these days. 

Everything from the nebulous “I don’t feel good” to “But the OC [or insert some television show here] is on!” I firmly believe that, after the dust of routine settles, we make time for things that we really believe matter, and we will make excuses for the things that [we think] don’t, at least not enough to go over and above the level of the other things.

Perhaps this requires an example, yes? Take, then, for instance, A Day in the Life Of. 

If I get up just in time for class, spend more money than is wise on coffee, energy drinks, and food, spend more time with my dear heart and on the computer than allows me to have a quiet time by the time I fall into bed, then I’m too tired to have any quiet time with God—then I have just thereby proven that reading my Bible and spending time in the Word is not as important as sleeping, eating, talking with my sister in Christ, blogging, and sleeping some more. 

I’ve also proven that homework, even though it is the full-time job/responsibility of the ones in college (or high school, technically ;) ), is not as important as those things either. 

So if those things are more important, I have just said that sloth, gluttony, idolatry, and more sloth are more important than the living God. 

This sounds a bit extreme, but I think if we’re honest with ourselves we know that we can be guilty of this. 

It’s not an open, outright sin—but when it becomes a pattern of behavior and the ruts grow deep, it becomes just that pronounced.

So I think, “What would David think of my doing X?” Would he say that I was glorifying the Messiah by my actions, that I was honoring the body that God gave me? 

There is a time for rest, and for laughter, of course! Even for dancing! But when I sit reading some nonsense on the web, or some easy reading when I should be doing something to help my very soul, I can’t help but think, you know, if I were under command of David, even in the twenty-first century, even if it were matters as mild as simply not making excuses for not getting up, not going to bed, not running, not lifting, not enjoying the embodiment of my spirit which God has declared good–he’d be pretty disappointed in me.

I find this useful particularly in grey areas, where it is not a matter of clear moral discourse. Whereas there’s a lot of sticky theology when thinking something as, well, cliché as “What would Jesus do?” in something not clearly involving a moral, ethical, & decision–this disappears when you look to someone like David, the great warrior. 

Is it sin to drink that carbonated beverage containing 120+ calories from high fructose corn syrup per serving? Is it a sin to veg out in front of the boob tube for hours at a time? 

No, of course not, but it may not be very wise if one has an agenda to really take hold of responsibility for his own body. 

I believe Psalm 8 also applies to our flesh in this instance–not our flesh nature, necessarily, but our own flesh–that it is our responsibilities individually and together with our friends and loved ones to master our own bodies and care for them, just as it is our responsibility to care for the Earth at large and “have dominion over it.” It’s like the old Seinfeld episode taken to a broader level than the hilariously impolite: “Are you master of your domain?”

I’d invite you to try it. Go for a day thinking about how warrior-king David would admonish you if you were in his ranks. 

 You have the freedom under his command to eat that Twinkie, but that’s really going to make you sluggish, tired, and essentially miserable when you’re ready to do something as simple as climb that flight of stairs.

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