Pastor Andrew Smith

In the 1996 movie The Ghost and the Darkness Charles Remington, played by Michael Douglas, gives Col. Patterson, Val Kilmer, some invaluable advice.  At one point in the movie Col. Patterson goes into the wilderness looking for the renegade lions with a new rifle.  Soon into the hunt he finds himself staring down the sights of the rifle at one of the renegade lions.  The lion turns, makes eye contact, Patterson pulls the trigger… and nothing!  A misfire.

Remington later pulls Patterson aside to let him know how foolish it was for him to go into battle with an untested firearm.  Patterson had never fired the rifle to guarantee its trustworthiness in battle and when he needed it most it let him down.  He was lucky to get out of that situation alive.

One of the striking commonalities with David’s three mighty men is that they were all battle tested (2Samuel 23:8, 10, 12).  These men had proved themselves when the heat was turned up.  One, single handily took down 800 men with a spear (23:8), another stood his ground with David when everyone else retreated (23:9, 10) and still, the third stood his ground while others ran away from the fight (23:12).  In every case, these were battle tested and proven men.

As a leader you’ve got to know who you’re going into battle with.  Have they been tested?  Have they proven themselves trustworthy?  Or are you headed into the battles of everyday life, leadership or whatever you’ve been called to with untested men?  You don’t need many around you but the ones that are need to be battle tested!

walk on,

Pastor Andrew