Do you ever feel like you can’t contribute much?

You might see others thriving in the spotlight and think, Well, maybe I don’t need to do much, or What can I possibly do to make a difference? You just let others do the task. You might see many people available to do a job, so why even try?

This can be common in our thinking, especially as youths. But God wants us to be people of action who strive to make a difference.

Consider David’s example.

When the Philistine giant, Goliath, taunted the army of Israel, “they were dismayed and greatly afraid” (1 Samuel 17:11). David, however, would not put up with this egregious defiance of the living God. He took audacious action and forcefully took down the brazen giant by God’s miraculous hand. Notice what this bold action did to the entire army of Israel.

“And the men of Israel and of Judah arose, and shouted, and pursued the Philistines, until thou come to the valley, and to the gates of Ekron. And the wounded of the Philistines fell down by the way to Shaaraim, even unto Gath, and unto Ekron” (verse 52).

David’s audacious act of faith and courage motivated an entire army, previously afraid and dismayed, to shout and chase down the enemy. Men who were, moments before, quivering in their armor, were now running toward the enemy. One man moved an entire army to action!

God can accomplish a lot through one man. If God is behind that man, he can move others to action, even if they were once greatly afraid. One man really can make the difference if he is willing to take action.

How can you make the difference as an individual for God?

Ask “What Can I Do?”

As an individual, you can make a difference. Young David certainly did. He didn’t think to himself, Well, there are other more fit soldiers than me, and I’m not even here to fight, I’m just delivering food, what can I possibly do? Just let someone else fight Goliath. He saw the need and took bold action.

Actually, upon hearing the fearful soldiers describe the situation, David, there to deliver food to his brothers, asked: “What shall be done to the man that killeth this Philistine, and taketh away the reproach from Israel? for who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?” (verse 26).

Does this sound like someone who was thinking, I wish someone else would fight this giant? David wasn’t even a soldier in the army! He thought more about what he could do to defend God, because, from what he saw, no one else was doing it, not even the king.

Your bold and courageous action can stir others to do the same. You should never underestimate the difference one person can make. You have to know your worth, especially when God is backing you.

How many times can we let down on an opportunity to make a difference assuming others will do it, or we think we can’t contribute? Instead of asking, Who else can do it? ask, What can I do? God is really looking for people, even young people, who see a need and take action to address it.

In Isaiah 6:8, God asks, “Whom shall I send?” Isaiah’s response was, “Here am I, send me.” That is the mindset God wants. See the need and say, Send me!

Know Your Value

David didn’t just blindly face this great giant without any know-how or previous experience. After King Saul expressed doubt that David could fight this beastly warrior, David replied: “… Thy servant kept his father’s sheep, and there came a lion, and a bear, and took a lamb out of the flock: And I went out after him, and smote him, and delivered it out of his mouth: and when he arose against me, I caught him by his beard, and smote him, and slew him. Thy servant slew both the lion and the bear: and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be as one of them, seeing he hath defied the armies of the living God” (1 Samuel 17:34-36).

David had an alert sense of his value to this operation. God was with him, and that was the most important factor, but David was also drawing on some previous experience that equipped him physically and also bolstered his faith to go out and fight.

Do you know your value? We all have different experiences and ways that God builds our faith. In David’s case, it was encountering a lion and a bear, and he thought of Goliath the same way.

An experience you have had, the lessons you’ve learned, are extremely important to future experiences and tasks. God is preparing you now for challenges to come. We can draw on those experiences to lead others in the future and make the difference in a challenging situation.

Know The Cause

One of the important questions David asked as he prepared to fight Goliath was, “Is there not a cause?”

What an important question! We can sometimes get wrapped up in nervousness about doing something we might not feel comfortable doing. Perhaps being that stand-out teen makes you uneasy, or taking initiative makes you anxious. But if there is a godly cause, then we should take bold action. In David’s case, he knew how important the cause was.

“From God’s point of view—and David’s—there was a monumental cause!” Gerald Flurry writes in The Former Prophets. “God wants all mankind to see it. Can’t you all see there’s a good reason to fight here? David asked. We need to take this Philistine on!”

Ask, Why do I need to take action? If we truly know how important the task at hand is then we can go in with courage and confidence knowing that God is backing the cause. We will see the essential need to take action. This is how you can be more impactful as an individual.

For a more modern example, consider Winston Churchill. Here was a great statesman who believed in the cause of fighting for the British Empire. In fact, he was virtually standing alone for many years, warning his nation of the impending threat of Nazi Germany. Yet he never backed down on the message because he knew the cause. The cause convicts us. Even an individual can make a huge difference if he fights for a cause. In this case nations were saved. Standing alone didn’t faze him, because of the cause.

If that cause is noble, then we shouldn’t hesitate to take action. David saw the cause as defending the army of the Living God.

Lead By Example

Understanding how important your example is can make a huge difference in your perspective. David’s bold and courageous action moved the entire army to chase after the Philistines. How important is it for you to take the lead and make the difference? Understand that by displaying a positive, energetic, lively mindset you can move others to take action.

Think about this in terms of playing a sport. You are losing pretty badly mid match, and your team is clearly not responding well. Players are giving up, playing with less intensity. Sometimes all it takes is one individual to pump up the team with energy. Be that guy. Be the guy who refuses to give up and gives it everything until the game is over. This mindset displayed can infect the whole team and even lead to glorious victory. It can be easy to bring down your team with a poor and negative example, but it can be powerful to display an example of not giving up.

We never see David wallow in nervousness or stress when Goliath taunted the army. Though the soldiers were all afraid, he charged ahead and, by faith, took down the giant. His powerful example inspired the rest of the army to fight.

Your example can be one of your most powerful tools to make the difference. You can inspire others to take more bold action, even those who might fear doing so.

Consider your life as a youth and what you can do to make the difference. God can accomplish a lot through one individual. David proved this, and you too can prove this in your daily life at Summer Educational Program, at Imperial Academy, as a college student, on the sports field, in your family.

Don’t get caught up in why you can’t make a difference, but think more about what you can do to make the difference.