Facing Giants

by Greg Laurie

We all will face giants at one time or another in our lives. By
giants, I am speaking of what seem to be insurmountable problems and
issues. We try to fell these giants, but often they seem to only grow
stronger with the passing of time.

It could be a giant of fear. Or it might be a giant of some type of
personal sin that you fall into again and again. It might be the sin
of pride or envy or gluttony or lust or something else. In a related
way, your giant might be one of addiction, something that has a grip
on your life. Then again, it could be a giant of threat that is
taunting you today. Someone has slandered you. A lawsuit has been
filed against you. Maybe there is even a threat against your very
life.

Or it might be a different kind of giant altogether, like an
unbelieving spouse or a prodigal child. You have prayed for them. You
have asked the Lord to reach them, yet they seem to become more
hardened by sin as the years pass by. You find yourself wondering how
you will ever overcome this.

So how do we deal with giants? We find the answer in the Old Testament
account of David and Goliath. Most of us are familiar with the story.
What a victory it was as David boldly defeated the giant Goliath,
armed only with a slingshot and five smooth stones. The will of the
Philistines was broken. The Israelites were reinvigorated. And it was
all because a little shepherd boy answered the call of God and cut
down the giant.

So what can we learn from this story about facing off with our own
giants in life?


One, recognize that we all have giants.
We all face severe hardships, seemingly insurmountable obstacles and
temptations. We all have problems. We all have temptations. We read in
1 Corinthians 10:13, ??The temptations in your life are no different
from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow
the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he
will show you a way out so that you can endure?? (NLT).

While it is true we all have giants, it is also true that every giant
can be defeated. After all, giants rarely start out that way. Goliath
was not always a giant. He was not always nine-feet-six-inches tall.
He was once a baby. And with the passing of time and the nurture of
others, the baby became a child. And the child became a teenager. And
the teenager became a man. And the man turned into a giant.

In the same way, giants often begin quite small. When we have a big
sin in our lives, it started as a little sin that was allowed,
nurtured, fed, and even encouraged, and then became a giant that
taunts us. It started with a so-called Christian liberty that we
proclaimed and is now getting the best of us. In time, little things
become big things.



Two, realize the battle belongs to the Lord.
David told Goliath, ??This is the Lord's battle, and he will give you
to us!?? (1 Samuel 17:47 NLT). That is why giants defeat us again and
again, because we face them in our own strength and we lose. We need
to realize this is the Lord's battle.



Three, attack your giant.
Goliath had come into the actual territory of the Israelites. He had
crossed their line. He was taunting them. And if you tolerate a
Goliath, he will take over your territory. He will come right up on
your doorstep. That is why you don't run from giants. You don't
negotiate with them. You attack them. The Bible tells us, ??As Goliath
moved closer to attack, David quickly ran out to meet him?? (verse 48
NLT). As the enemy drew closer, David ran right at him.

Whatever your giant might be, force it into the light of day. Stop
rationalizing it. Stop excusing it. Realize you can't defeat it in
your own strength. Call on God and pray for His power, and then attack
it. Draw lines and be accountable to others. Stay away from people or
situations where you would be easily tempted. And don't let that giant
back into your life again.

Finally, trust in the Lord. Don't look at God in the light of your
giant; look at your giant in the light of God.