Putting Away Childish Things

Why I'm trading perfection for faithfulness.

“When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put aside childish things.”

1 Corinthians 13:11 (HCSB)

Hi, my name is Franklin Davis.

For as long as I could remember, I have had a vivid imagination.

As a boy, you could not tell me that I wasn’t the NBA Finals MVP at recess on Monday. On Tuesday, I was a member of the Justice League, ridding the playground of bullies. On Wednesday, I performed my greatest hits at a sold-out show in Madison Square Garden. And on Thursday—well, you get the picture. My mind was a labyrinth of identities, and I fully inhabited every single one of them.

I dreamed big, but snored louder.

In other words, I hid behind my ideas. It was better for me to create a virtual reality in which I could remove the headset at any time and continue doing absolutely nothing.

In my mind, I wrote multiple albums, sold numerous books, and achieved world peace. The only problem is that none of these things happened. If anyone else had trouble figuring out what to do, I had a million-dollar idea ready for them at the drop of a hat. But for myself? Nothing.

Why? I guess because I was afraid of failing. And if I’m being honest, I was scared of success too (more on that later). I felt that I could do impactful things, but it couldn’t be “me.” I needed to create a persona to spark curiosity, protect my privacy, and come out unscathed when negativity came my way.

So I created just that: a false identity.

…but for a long time, I was hiding behind “Buddy.”

Franklin is not only my name, but my father’s.

Yes, I love him, but he was absent. I have nothing against him, but for a long time, when someone would say my name, it felt like .223 rounds were entering my chest. So, I did my best to go by any other name.

But for a long time, I was hiding behind ‘Buddy.’

The $50,000 question remains: Where in the world did “Buddy” come from? I’m glad you asked. My lovely wife, Danisha, gave me that name a few years ago, and it stuck. It became Kevlar. Suddenly, the name given to me at birth lost its ammo; the nickname given in love protected me from the baggage of the past.

However, I can no longer live that way in good conscience.

When Christ saved me, I became a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17). My name is included in that redemption.

This means I no longer need to hide behind a “safe” name because of my father's absence. Jesus stripped me of my baggage when He died for me, and He gave me a new identity.

I’m done hiding. I am choosing to take back the name “Franklin.” Christ restored my broken heart, and through Him, I have access to the most loving Parent ever: my Heavenly Father.

“Even if my father and mother abandon me, the Lord cares for me.”

Psalm 27:10 (HCSB)

This verse reminds me of the Lord’s kindness to me. With His help, my wife and children will never endure what I had to.

The days of shame are over. I am building a legacy that will outlast me—one that will bless my children, my grandchildren, and my great-grandchildren. By God’s grace, I will remain a husband of one wife, and my children will not just know my name, but they will know me.

…because I was afraid of being imperfect.

In the United States Air Force, one of our core values is Excellence in All We Do. For a long time, I convinced myself that I could not share my gifts with the world unless it were perfect.

How foolish of me.

Thankfully, Scripture whipped me right back into shape (2 Timothy 3:16-17) and rid me of futile thinking.

“What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can his faith save him? If a brother or sister is without clothes and lacks daily food and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, keep warm, and eat well,” but you don’t give them what the body needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith, if it doesn’t have works, is dead by itself. But someone will say, “You have faith, and I have works.” Show me your faith without works, and I will show you faith from my works. You believe that God is one; you do well. The demons also believe — and they shudder. Foolish man! Are you willing to learn that faith without works is useless? Wasn’t Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac, his son, on the altar? You see that faith was active together with his works, and by works, faith was perfected. So the Scripture was fulfilled that says, Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him for righteousness, and he was called God’s friend. You see that a man is justified by works and not by faith alone. And in the same way, wasn’t Rahab the prostitute also justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out by a different route? For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead.”

James 2:14-26 (HCSB)

I concluded that I was being a hypocrite! I had the answers for others, but I refused to apply those same principles to my life. Thinking, there’s no way this would work for me, but that was just a fancy way of me calling God a liar, and deceiving myself. God forbid I ended up like the wicked slave in Matthew 25:30.

Something had to change.

Thank God for repentance! My inaction was a waste of time I can no longer get back, but thankfully, I can redeem the time remaining (Ephesians 5:15-16).

…so today, I am stepping onto the field.

So, consider this my clocking in.

The days of burying the talent are over. I was so consumed by the exterior's appearance that the interior was rotting away from inactivity. It is better to be present and obey than to be a hypocritical hermit.

This platform, The Black Puritan Society, is my “work.” Here, you will not find perfection, but pain turned into literary images that hit the soul.

It will be raw, gritty, and faithful. Thank you for joining me on this journey.

My name is Franklin Davis. I am a husband, a father, and a slave of Christ. And I am ready to work.

Please keep me, my family, and my work in your prayers.

Soli Deo Gloria