Have you ever looked at an obstacle in front of you and felt discouraged - not just because of its size but also from the lack of support from those around you - since your loss is a foregone conclusion?

If you’re experiencing this then congratulations - you’re an underdog.

But you and I both know that being an underdog is an isolating experience - especially in a society that only supports underdogs who win.

Yet, God is different:

• He declares underdogs the winners before we even get on the scene.

• He takes underdogs through a journey that trains our unconventional skills and mindsets to help us dominate.

• He uses this season of anonymity to bring us closer to Him - so our every battle becomes a battle where He can be glorified.

God’s celebration of underdogs is rooted in how He is greater than our situations.

Unlike society, which only starts paying attention when we win - God exists and is rooting for us before, during and after the win.

All we have to do is look at David.

God Before The Glory

Before he was a celebrated king, warrior and musician, David was the forgotten 8th child of Jesse - relegated to the lowly task of being his family’s shepherd boy.

Even when it was time to anoint the next king, his family didn’t even consider David to be a possibility.

Yet, God saw something different:

• He saw the boy who trusted Him to deliver him from dangers like lions and bears.

• He saw the boy who talked to Him in the quiet of the fields.

• He saw someone who put Him first.

So, if you can relate be prepared for God to:

• Draw you into a deeper relationship with Him

• Keep you in situations that are humbling as He trains and exercises your skills

• Teach you, your identity in Him

• Mould you into the person He is creating you to be

• Develop your character so you can handle where He is taking you

God During The Glory

God is intentional.

He designs every part of the journey to:

1. Bring you to a deeper relationship/understanding of Him

2. Become the person He created you to be

A big part of this adventure is the uncomfortable moments...

After David was anointed king, God positioned him to be King Saul’s worship minister. Here, he had a front-row seat to Saul’s mental degradation.

But he honoured God which was important. He:

• Didn’t look down on Saul

• Continued playing the harp no matter how Saul acted -until the distressing spirit left him

• Didn’t gossip about the King’s condition

Funnily enough, David had the greatest reason to do this: he was chosen by God to replace Saul. Despite this, he stayed humble and helped maintain Saul's dignity.

Since he was able to remain humble during this season of his life - God used his capacity for humility to win over Goliath:

• David had to turn down Saul’s weapons because he knew they were too big for him. If he hadn’t done this, and chosen his sling instead - he would have lost his battle against Goliath.

If you are an underdog and question whether you are underqualified for what you are up against, rest assured - you are not. You have everything you need.

• God pulls everything He put in you, out of you along the journey so when you are facing your Goliath - you are perfectly anointed, positioned and equipped to gain victory.

• However, this depends on you submitting to and learning the lessons the journey was designed to teach you.

God After The Glory

God is such a perfect trainer that after He sends you your Goliath - the idea of you being an underdog is obliterated.

But what happens when your environment finally recognizes you for what you are capable of - revealing you to be leaps and bounds better than anyone else?

This is normally where society ends the underdog’s movie but God doesn’t do this - He is with us through this discomfort.

Rest assured - this IS the most uncomfortable part for one reason:

• Sauls get jealous and dedicate their time to waging a persecution campaign.

Saul put David through hell because this part of the glory is messy.

And David and Jesus showed every other underdog how to get through it:

• Clinging to God

• Using wisdom

As underdogs, it’s easy to believe that our Goliath is bigger than us but the truth is because we have God walking beside us, training us and being in a relationship with us - we never had to worry about the Goliaths in the first place!