Challenged To The Core - Del Brixey

There are giants in the land, in fact they are all around us; but before you call “911” to have me committed, give me a moment to explain myself. Each of us face “giants” everyday; “giants”, that if left unattended, threaten our spiritual growth, the health of our marriages and the harmony of our families. Fortunately, we have the power to start “slaying the giants”. All we have to do is confront them wherever we find them. When we are consistent, the giants get weaker and weaker until they eventually wither away and die. But too often we don’t recognize them until they take control of our life. As we begin a new year, I want you to take a moment to look for the “giants” in your life, draw a line in the sand and commit yourself to “slaying the giants” in your life on all fronts.

Good intentions...
“Now the Philistines gathered their forces for war and assembled at Socoh in Judah. They pitched camp at Ephes Dammim, between Socoh and Azekah. Saul and the Israelites assembled and camped in the Valley of Elah and drew up their battle line to meet the Philistines. The Philistines occupied one hill and the Israelites another, with the valley between them.” 1 Samuel 17:1-3

Israel was preparing for battle with the Philistines. They brought the army, they set up their tents and then they stopped in their tracks as they faced the giant named Goliath. Day after day Goliath taunted them to come out and fight, but after all of their preparation for a fight, no one was willing to actually take him on when given the chance. Today, as spiritual warriors we can lose ground in our battle with the giant of “good intentions”. We may already know what to do and sometimes we may even have devised a battle plan, but we fail by not following through. Don’t let this happen to you, take the steps necessary to overcome the giant of “good intentions” today!

Irrational fears…
“Goliath stood and shouted to the ranks of Israel, "Why do you come out and line up for battle? Am I not a Philistine, and are you not the servants of Saul? Choose a man and have him come down to me. If he is able to fight and kill me, we will become your subjects; but if I overcome him and kill him, you will become our subjects and serve us."…On hearing the Philistine's words, Saul and all the Israelites were dismayed and terrified.” 1 Samuel 17:8-11

God gave us the emotion of “fear” for a good reason; to save our lives when we are in danger. However, there are times when our fears are “irrational”. They are not based on anything concrete, just the raging desire to avoid confrontation. Goliath taunted the armies of Saul, but he was still just one man. One man could not stop a whole army of warriors if they were really committed to the cause. The same is true in our lives. If we truly believe that God has given us a mission, then we need to understand that He will also give us the courage, insights and resources to be victorious. Use whatever fears you have in your life to prepare for battle versus using them as excuses to sit on the bench.

Apathetic attitudes…
“For forty days the Philistine came forward every morning and evening and took his stand.” 1 Samuel 17:16

The standoff with Goliath and the Philistine army had gone on for forty days. No one, on either side I might add, was willing to get on with the fight. It had gone on so long that everyone was developing an “apathetic attitude” to the war. After a while we can develop an “apathetic attitude” about our life as well. We find it easier to live with our “giants” rather than facing them, but apathy is a silent killer of dreams. It begins to suck the life out of everything that we are involved in, from our work to our home life. Ask yourself this week if you are giving in to the “giant” of apathy in any area of your life. Then “slay the giant” by kicking him in the rear and taking the names of his friends (depression, laziness).

Nasty habits...
“When Eliab, David's oldest brother, heard him speaking with the men, he burned with anger at him and asked, "Why have you come down here? And with whom did you leave those few sheep in the desert? I know how conceited you are and how wicked your heart is; you came down only to watch the battle." 1 Samuel 17:28

David’s oldest brother had a nasty habit of blaming his youngest brother for everything that went wrong in his life. David had been asking the other soldiers what honor or gift the man who killed Goliath would receive from the king. Eliab took David’s questions as a personal insult based on his own unwillingness to “step up” and fight the giant. We all have defensive measures that we employ when we are challenged to face our own “nasty habits”. These habits keep us entertained or preoccupied so we are distracted from taking care of business with our giants. What “nasty habit” do you employ? I can spend an hour organizing my office or doing research to avoid sitting down to the computer to write. You see, “nasty habits” don’t have to be offensive; they are just techniques that are a few steps removed from “good intentions” but the outcome is the same; avoiding the giants.

Tempting distractions…
“Then Saul dressed David in his own tunic. He put a coat of armor on him and a bronze helmet on his head. David fastened on his sword over the tunic and tried walking around, because he was not used to them. "I cannot go in these," he said to Saul, "because I am not used to them." So he took them off.” 1 Samuel 17:38-39

When King Saul agreed to let David fight Goliath, he attempted to prepare him by outfitting him with the best battle gear that money could buy. After a few minutes of stumbling around in his new duds, David told the king that he needed to go with what he knew; his staff, his shepherd’s bag and his sling shot. We can get distracted from defeating our own giants by chasing after the newest seminar on “giant fighting”. Let’s be honest it’s much easier to study about fighting giants than it is to take them on in a real life struggle involving sweat, blood and tears. Learn to fight the good fight by avoiding “tempting distractions” so you can join the fray sending the giants into a full blown retreat.

Stubborn roadblocks…
“Meanwhile, the Philistine, with his shield bearer in front of him, kept coming closer to David. He looked David over and saw that he was only a boy, ruddy and handsome, and he despised him. He said to David, "Am I a dog, that you come at me with sticks?" And the Philistine cursed David by his gods. "Come here," he said, "and I'll give your flesh to the birds of the air and the beasts of the field!" 1 Samuel 17:41-44

As David went forward to face Goliath in a one on one fight, it says that the giant “kept coming closer”. We need to understand that giants are not prone to running away crying in the middle of the night. If they did, life would be a whole lot easier. Instead, Goliath stepped up his game as a “stubborn roadblock” often does. He hurled insult after insult at David. When they finally stood face to knee cap, David looked up at Goliath and said, “You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the Lord Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied” (1 Samuel 17:45). David understood the source of power that is available to all of us as Christians; God himself. Whatever giants you and I face, we can depend on God to be there with us. There is no one greater that could assist us in our struggle. God will take the talents and abilities that we already possess and “super-charge” them with His power. If we let God take over, the final score will always be in our favor. Go ahead, make God’s day, and give Him an opportunity to prove it.

Another year is on the horizon and if you are like me, there are still a few giants off in the distance. Ask yourself, “Whatcha gonna do when they come for you? Bad boy, bad boy!” As you “check your pulse” determine where God wants you to draw the battle lines in the sand and commit yourself anew to “slaying the giants” in your life. May you experience the best year ever in your spiritual growth, the health of your marriage and the harmony within your home.