Facing giants in your life

I would like to share some thoughts from a great message we heard at Capital Christian Center last week. Most of us remember the story of the young shepherd boy named David who killed the giant Goliath on the plains of Elah (1 Samuel 17). Although we don't have to face 9-foot giants named Goliath in our lives, we still face giants that come in the form of sexual abuse, abandonment, unemployment, discouragement or perhaps even depression.

The Bible says in 1 Samuel 17:40, "Then David took his shepherd's staff, selected five smooth stones from the brook, and put them in the pocket of his shepherd's pack, and with his sling in his hand approached Goliath." Let us visit the whole idea that David gathered five smooth stones that will equip us to take on the giants in our own lives.

Identify your giants. If you are going to win over your giants, you've got to specifically identify them.

Get God's perspective. See God and ourselves from His prospective. Be encouraged by the fact that David saw himself as big enough and the giant as small enough. When we see from the human perspective we tend to see the giant as too big, and we see ourselves as too small.

Consider the rewards. David asked the men standing near him, "What will be done for the man who kills this Philistine and removes this disgrace from Israel?" (1 Samuel 17:26). It turns out that the king will give great wealth, his daughter in marriage and exempt his father's family from taxes. Now that's a pretty good deal. If you get past this giant - you're going to move into a new day and a new season in your life.

Take decisive action. David spoke to the giant. He ran quickly toward the giant, and he cut the giant's head off. He spoke, he ran, he chopped. Don't get stuck analyzing, planning, organizing - when what you really need to do - is take action. The world rewards you for what you do, not for what you know.

Celebrate the victories. It might not be a party that you throw for yourself but an ongoing ownership of your victories. The Bible tells us that David took the head of that giant along with his spear, sword and shield and carried them to his tent. David was saying, "I'm not going to forget this day. I'm going to keep this in close proximity of my life, so I can constantly be reminded of who I am - a giant slayer."

Tony Campolo once said, "All of us are better than the worst thing that we've ever done."

Don't let your giants overpower you and convince you that you are powerless, but, instead, face your giants, be victorious, celebrate the victories and constantly remember who you are - a giant slayer.

• Dave Goodale is associate pastor at Capital Christian Center in Carson City.