Keep The Sword

Long before Lebron James played for the Los Angeles Lakers, he played for the Miami Heat. And before then, he played for the Cleveland Cavaliers. His first stint with the Cavaliers didn’t go so well, and I remember when he announced that he was leaving during an infamous interview called “The Decision.” He was savagely criticized. Cleveland fans even burned his jersey. But very few people realized the logic behind his choice. James would later say that his decision was simple. He went to Miami so he could learn how to win. Pat Riley (yes, the former Laker Head Coach) is, and remains the Heat’s President and General Manager, and Lebron credits Riley with teaching him the lessons he needed to translate his formidable intellect, skills and passion into the alchemy necessary to produce championships.

I’ve never forgotten that profound bit of wisdom. You have to go find people who can teach you how to win. It means that winning is learned behavior. And It means that you can only learn how to win from people who have won. If you want to win in any area of life, you have to find the people who have already won the battle you are fighting and study their victories. Anyone who has been that good for that long not only deserves your admiration, but also your study. This is also why I was surprised (actually, more like disgusted) when I heard that Benedict Mathurin, the rookie recently drafted by the Indiana Pacers bragged during a press conference that he didn’t think that Lebron is better than he is. Come on Dude! You ain’t played one game in the pros. #whatever. Respect your elders. Respect the game. Respect the hard work and dedication it takes to win.

You gotta learn to win! Winning is learned behavior. In order to win, you have to be around people who have won. I have not only adopted, but I regularly employ this practice. Several times a year, I travel to different parts of the country to visit with various pastors across denominational lines who lead effective ministries. I try to understand what they do, how they do it, and why they do it to enhance my own leadership.

During a recent trip, I asked my host for (who has been serving his church for 35 years) the keys to lasting success. Specifically, I asked him what challenges I could expect at the 20 year mark, the 25 year mark, etc. I must confess that I did not anticipate his response. He said that he has learned that as time goes on, you don’t have new challenges, as much as you have the the same challenges over and over again. Not new issues, he said. Just old issues dressed up in new clothes. So one of the keys, he concluded, was to “remember the lessons from your previous victories.”

That insight made me better appreciate a thrilling anecdote that is tucked away in the annals of scripture. David has defeated Goliath. His victory has earned him the adulation of the nation, but the envy of Saul. As a result, he must flee to protect his life. Leaving Jerusalem, David goes to a city named Nob, where he visits with a priest named Ahimelech and asks him a curious question:

….“Do you have a spear or sword of any kind around here? I didn’t have a chance to grab my weapons. The king’s mission was urgent and I left in a hurry.” The priest said, “The sword of Goliath, the Philistine you killed at Oak Valley—that’s here! It’s behind the Ephod wrapped in a cloth. If you want it, take it. There’s nothing else here.” Oh,” said David, “there’s no sword like that! Give it to me!” 1 Samuel 21:8-11

Most Bible readers know that David defeated Goliath. What many Bible readers don’t know is that David did not kill Goliath with a sling shot. According to 1 Samuel 17: 51, David killed Goliath with Goliath’s sword. David cut off his head-and kept the sword. I hope you got that. David kept the sword. Eventually, the sword wound up in Ahimelechs’ possession—who kept it. And it was a good thing that Ahimelech kept it. Because eventually, David would need it again.

The takeaway is that whenever you win, you should keep the sword that helped you win. The “sword” is a metaphor for the equipment that enabled you to win a previous battle: the attitudes, habits, relationships, or the strategies that enabled your triumph. . Far too many of us win, and then carelessly, thoughtlessly, and recklessly throw away the stuff that helped us triumph—not recognizing that our next battle may not be a new battle, but an old battle in new clothes.

Someone reading this is facing what you think is a new battle. Upon further observation and investigation, you may very well discover that this new battle is not so new.

Hopefully you kept some of the “swords” from your previous victories.

They can help you win. Again.