1 Samuel 30:1-6 (NKJV) Now it happened, when David and his men came to Ziklag, on the third day, that the Amalekites had invaded the South and Ziklag, attacked Ziklag and burned it with fire, and had taken captive the women and those who were there, from small to great; they did not kill anyone, but carried them away and went their way. So David and his men came to the city, and there it was, burned with fire; and their wives, their sons, and their daughters had been taken captive. Then David and the people who were with him lifted up their voices and wept, until they had no more power to weep. And David’s two wives, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail the widow of Nabal the Carmelite, had been taken captive. Now David was greatly distressed, for the people spoke of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and his daughters. But David strengthened himself in the LORD his God.
Most of us would, at some point in our lives, have felt down, discouraged, and beaten down. It could be triggered by anything—life’s circumstances, illnesses, or people’s remarks and actions. Don’t be deceived into thinking that some of the strongest personalities we know seem invincible! They may simply be more private and refuse to show their vulnerability. Sometimes, a person of such standing as David might find it difficult to look weak and discouraged, but the truth of the matter is that they do. David would likely have felt horrible because he wasn’t able to protect his family, even though he had accomplished other great exploits.
It is never easy for senior executives, public figures, and their spouses to reveal the vulnerable sides of their lives, for fear of exploitation by others. Keeping our cards close to our chest, most of us also present and report only the good things about ourselves. Sometimes, people also mistakenly think that pastors are always joyful, resilient, and immovable in all circumstances.
We might have the wrong impression that most of the characters in the Bible are always godly and unconquerable by life’s experiences. In fact, when Jezebel threatened to kill Elijah after his great victory over the prophets of Baal, he experienced a mood swing from the high of victory to the low of being threatened with death. In other words, even Elijah felt depressed and suicidal (1 Kings 19:1-4).
In the opening passage of Scripture, we see that David was deeply distressed, just like any other human being. What we must learn from him, however, is how he found strength in God even when his own men were ready to stone him—a sobering reminder that leadership sometimes comes at a painful cost.
Reflection: Do you feel that people expect you to always be upbeat or joyful? How does that pressure affect your ability to honestly acknowledge and process your emotions?
Sermon Series： 2026 CG Campaign — Up Part 1
你不必假装坚强
撒母耳记上 30:1-6 第三日，大卫和跟随他的人到了洗革拉。亚玛力人已经侵夺南地，攻破洗革拉，用火焚烧， 2 掳了城内的妇女和其中的大小人口，却没有杀一个，都带着走了。 3 大卫和跟随他的人到了那城，不料，城已烧毁，他们的妻子、儿女都被掳去了。 4 大卫和跟随他的人就放声大哭，直哭得没有气力。 5 大卫的两个妻耶斯列人亚希暖和做过拿八妻的迦密人亚比该，也被掳去了。 6 大卫甚是焦急，因众人为自己的儿女苦恼，说要用石头打死他。大卫却倚靠耶和华他的神，心里坚固。
我们大多数人在生命中的某个阶段，都曾经历过低潮、灰心和被压垮的时刻。这些感受可能来自生活环境、疾病，或是他人的言语和行为。不要误以为那些看起来最坚强、最有能力的人就真的刀枪不入。他们或许只是更倾向于把脆弱隐藏起来，不愿轻易示人。像大卫这样备受尊敬的领袖人物，也会觉得自己不能显得软弱或沮丧。然而事实是，他们同样会经历这些情绪。大卫很可能因无法保护自己的家人而深感痛苦，即使他曾完成许多伟大的壮举。
对于企业高管、公众人物以及他们的配偶而言，要坦露自己脆弱的一面并不容易，因为他们担心被人利用或误解。因此，我们常常选择把真实的感受藏起来，只向人展示自己最好的一面。有时候，人们也误以为牧者总是充满喜乐、坚韧不拔，并且无论面对什么环境都毫不动摇。
我们也可能对圣经人物抱有错误的印象，以为他们总是敬虔刚强，不会被人生的风浪击倒。事实上，当耶洗别在以利亚战胜巴力先知之后扬言要杀他时，以利亚经历了从属灵高峰跌入人生低谷的巨大反差。他因死亡威胁而陷入极度灰心之中，甚至求死（列王纪上19:1-4）。
在今天的经文中，我们看到大卫和所有普通人一样，也经历了极大的痛苦和压力。然而，我们更需要学习的是：即便在自己的部下都准备拿石头打死他的时候，他仍然选择从神那里支取力量。这也提醒我们一个严肃的事实：领导力往往伴随着不为人知的代价与孤独。
默想：你是否觉得身边的人总是期待你保持积极、乐观和喜乐的状态？这种期待是否让你难以诚实面对自己的情绪，并健康地处理内心真实的感受？
讲章系列：天天向上！细胞小组活动 2026（第一部分）