Lessons from Michelangelo’s Statue of David
Il Gigante and the Angel Inside
Make sure you listen to our interview with Chris Widener surrounding his bestseller, The Angel Inside,an allegory of Michelangelo’s Statue of David. I’m sure you will be as intrigued and inspired by the story of “Il Gigante” as I was.
As the legend goes, one day Michelangelo was working on this marble that would become David, and a young child came by where he was working. The young boy asked Michelangelo why he was working so hard, hitting the rock. Michelangelo said to him, “Young boy, there is an angel inside of this rock and I am setting him free.”
Rejected by Those Lacking Vision
What many don’t know is that the marble was originally cut eleven years before Michelangelo was born. Its tall yet narrow shape was rejected by three world-class artists— Agostino di Duccio, Antonio Rossellino, and the great Leonardo da Vinci. All declined the commission, unable to see what the marble could become, except Michelangelo, and the rest is history.
How about you? What do you see when you look at the marble around your life? Do you see what God sees? God sees you. But do you see you?
Most people I meet stop short of their best version because, like di Duccio, Rossellino, and da Vinci, they fail to see themselves the way God does. Listen to David’s words in Psalm 139:13-14:
For You formed my inward parts;
You wove me in my mother’s womb.
I will give thanks to You,
for I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
Wonderful are Your works,
And my soul knows it very well.
More than Marble.
I am sure David smiled as he penned the words that would become Psalm 139, remembering the day he was anointed King of Israel. If you remember the story, God sent the prophet Samuel to Jesse to anoint one of his sons to be the next king, but God rejected all seven. Seven sons were invited to the anointing party but the eighth, the youngest, was rejected by his father!
His father did not see what God saw! Oh, I wish I could talk to Jesse now!
"But the Lord said to Samuel,
'Do not look at his appearance or the height of his stature,
because I have rejected him; for God sees not as man sees,
for man looks at the outward appearance,
but the Lord looks at the heart.'”
1 Samuel 16:7
Maybe you’re like young David. You sense something great inside of you, but you are stuck in the field while everyone else is being told they are the ones who have potential. You aren’t good-looking enough. You aren’t smart enough. You aren’t skilled enough. You have too much baggage. You have too much sin.
Tragically, you’ve believed the lie—until now. Now it is time to believe in who God created you to be. It’s time you realized you are more than a rustic slab of marble. You are God’s masterpiece in disguise! It is time to break out the hammer and chisel and get to work.
In Jesus’ name, I reject those lies on your behalf!
Break the Mold in 2022
Men, it is time to break the mold that contains the average you and start chipping away at God’s best version of you. We have several things in place to help you unveil the masterpiece which is you!
- Sign up to join the waiting list for our program here. We are about two months away from launch. Hang in there. One of our National Team Captains will be reaching out to you.
- Grow in your passion for God by listening to the Men in the Arena Podcast. Be watching any day now for the release of my new book, Guts, and Manhood: The Four Irrefutable Attributes of Courage. This book will change your life.
- If you desire to build deeper friendships with your children, make sure you upload my newest book, Tell Them: What Great Fathers Tell Their Sons and Daughters including 200 “tell them’’ statements, Bible verses, and meditative images to help dads become their best version. Add this fathering weapon to your arsenal.
- Engage on our Facebook Forum with 11,000 men in lively conversations about everything related to manhood.
Welcome to the Best Year of Your Life!
