David was the youngest of nine (1 Chronicles 2:13-16; 1 Samuel 16:11). While the Bible doesn’t record any major mistakes he made as a youth, some of his older siblings would have watched him grow up and perhaps have been annoyed or embarrassed by the young boy. Whatever the reason, his siblings wrote him off, resigning him to keep watch over the family’s flocks of sheep. When the Prophet Samuel came to the house of Jesse to anoint a new king over Israel, David wasn’t invited. To them, he was just a young shepherd boy who liked to play harp—certainly not “king” material.

Jesse presented Eliab: the tall and handsome firstborn. However, God wasn’t impressed. “But the Lord said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart” (verse 7).

If you struggle with your reputation, remember that God looks on the heart. While his family wrote him off, David got his heart in line with God’s. He worked to have the same thoughts, opinions, values, perspectives, ambitions, hopes and dreams that God has. And because of this, everything else eventually fell into place.

Soon after David was anointed the next king of Israel, the current king—Saul—needed a skilled musician in his court. One of his servants recommended David. To him, he was a smart, strong, skilled musician, and good-looking too! This servant could even see that God was with him (verse 18). At least with this royal official, David had a good reputation!

Where did the king’s messengers find him? In the sheep field (verse 19). Even after being anointed king by God’s prophet, David’s family barely viewed him any differently. For them, he was more fit for the field than the king’s court. Meanwhile, the king himself told Jesse he liked having David around (verse 22).

In The Former Prophets, Gerald Flurry writes: “It’s amazing what a contrast there is between [Saul’s servant’s] view and that of David’s own family. David’s father and brothers had an extremely low view of him. Even after Samuel anointed him, they didn’t esteem him highly—they put him right back out with the sheep (verse 19).”

For David, it was harder overturning his reputation with those closest to him than with those he barely knew. Yet, not once is he recorded having a self-pitying attitude.

Be Faithful in the Little Things—Even if Nobody’s Watching

Suddenly, things took a dark turn for Israel: The Philistines began campaigning against Israel’s southwestern border. To counter the threat, Saul gathered an army—among whom were David’s three oldest brothers. While David did have experience as the king’s armourbearer (1 Samuel 16:21), he had to return once again to his old job of feeding sheep (1 Samuel 17:15).

When the campaign began to drag on, Jesse decided to send David—not to fight, but to deliver cheese (verses 17-18). However, when David arrived, he saw the problem: A Philistine giant named Goliath was taunting Israel and its army, quashing any hope of Israelite victory.

David started speaking up against this evil. It wasn’t long until his oldest brother became embarrassed and got angry with him. “And Eliab his eldest brother heard when he spake unto the men; and Eliab’s anger was kindled against David, and he said, Why camest thou down hither? and with whom hast thou left those few sheep in the wilderness? I know thy pride, and the naughtiness of thine heart; for thou art come down that thou mightest see the battle” (verse 28).

Isn’t it curious how Eliab claimed to know David’s heart, when it’s for that very reason God chose David to be king instead of him?

Obviously, David wasn’t perfect. He had certainly made mistakes: mistakes his oldest brother was probably aware of. But Eliab held a pretty negative view of his younger brother—writing him off as a naughty, prideful boy who liked getting into trouble. So in addition to the giant madman across the valley, David also had an image problem to battle.

When word of David reached Saul, the king was hesitant to let him fight. It’s clear David didn’t have a warrior’s reputation. He was just a boy, after all.

To convince Saul he was up to the task, David told him about two separate occasions when he killed a lion and a bear while keeping his father’s sheep (verses 34-36).

Think about David’s mindset while tending sheep in the field. He didn’t let his image problem hold him back. He made the most of his time by building character, learning how to trust God against life-threatening obstacles. Even when nobody was watching, David was developing character in whatever situation he was in.

By being faithful in the little things, David was ready to battle the much bigger obstacle across the valley.

God’s Name Comes First

When David went out to fight, Goliath—like the rest of Israel—saw David only as a small, inexperienced youth. It was a joke to him. So he cursed the boy (1 Samuel 17:42-43). Look at how David responded: “Then said David to the Philistine, Thou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield: but I come to thee in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied” (verse 45).

David didn’t get defensive about himself and his own name to this heathen warrior. Rather, he said: “I come to you in God’s name, the very name you just defied!” He was going to kill Goliath—not to make himself look good but so “all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel” (verse 46). David was more concerned about defending God’s name than his own.

Mr. Flurry writes: “David wasn’t trying to become some great general; that wasn’t his motive at all. He was blessed by God, and he wanted all Israel and all the Gentiles to know that God lived!” (ibid).

We in the Church carry God’s name. When we go out into the world, our actions should be motivated not by a desire to make ourselves look good, but to make God look good! If our priorities aren’t straight, we’ll only come across as a self-serving egotist.

If your reputation isn’t what you’d like it to be, throw your all into supporting God’s Work. Focus on how you represent Him. Make His name your top priority.

David’s victory over Goliath caused a dramatic swing in his reputation. Across Israel, women began singing about Saul killing thousands and David killing ten thousands (1 Samuel 18:6-7). David’s name was being praised in song!

Most importantly, however, David had a good reputation in God’s eyes. God saw what was in his heart. And so, David has become known as a man after God’s own heart. His name occurs over 1,000 times in the Bible. It’s etched onto the Tel-Dan Stele, one of the most important artifacts in biblical archaeology. And it’s the namesake of an eternal throne, the throne Jesus Christ will return to and that we will help rule from forever.

While we don’t want to be selfishly concerned with outward appearances, the Bible does emphasize the importance of having a good name (Proverbs 22:1; Ecclesiastes 7:1) because, ultimately, we carry God’s name.

If you struggle with your reputation, know that God is invested in helping you. After all, we in the Church carry His name. Follow David’s example in being a man after God’s own heart, and God will make sure you have a name worthy of His throne and Family.

One final note: Remember that we are all human. We all make mistakes, and we are all fighting to overcome sin. Older, baptized members especially know this. If you are striving to grow, support God’s Work, and bring forth fruits meet for repentance, God will see it, and eventually, those developing God’s mind will see it too. Ensure you have a good name in God’s eyes, and He will take care of the rest.