I’m currently heading to, in or on my way back from Bolivia. The internet access (along with my time) is a little more sketchy there than here in the States. So I’m re-posting a few of mine and your favorite posts from the last year or so.
Enjoy!
Stop me if you’ve heard this one…
One of the most famous stories in the Bible is David and Goliath. A young shepherd boy who faces down a fully grown, literal giant (up to 10 feet tall!). If you’ve been around church at all – especially as a child – you know the story of David and Goliath.
It’s such an empowering story. We can all face down the giant standing before us. No matter how big or small we are, there is nothing too big for us to conquer.
Much less known is Goliath was not the last giant David faced. In one passage of 2 Samuel 21, we read about David and his men defeating 4 other giants from the same area of the country. One was 12 fingered, 12 toed and 10 feet tall, not only that, but David was fighting giants as an old man!
There’s always another giant.
The Goliath principle
Of the hundred plus credit hours I took in college, only a handful of classes stand out. Interestingly, one of my favorites, I honestly can’t tell you the subject (biblical history?)
The reason I loved the class wasn’t the subject, it was the teacher.
My teacher was Dr. Metz, a retired professor, in his 80’s who came back to teach a class or two for another professor on sabbatical. Many of our classes had nothing to do with the curriculum, but him talking about life, what he had learned, and answering our questions on any subject we dared bring up.
One of the question and answer sessions has stuck with me nearly 20 years later. The question was posed,
“Does it get easier to live the Christian life the older you get?”
Dr Metz responded immediately and without hesitation,
“Oh, no, it’s gets harder.”
We were all stunned. How could that be? How could a man who had been a Christian for 65+ years tell us living that life was harder now than 20, 30, 40 years earlier?
In general, shouldn’t life get easier?
To say the least, this was unsettling. I didn’t understand it then, but I see it clearly now. It’s the Goliath principle.
There’s always another giant.
What giant are you facing?
In your life, you are facing giants. I know because in my life, I’m facing giants. It might be spiritual or practical. It could be finances, relationships, business, addiction or any number of issues. It changes too. What I face today very well may be different tomorrow.
We all face giants.
The great news is no matter the giant, it can be slain. However, the harder news is once it’s killed, eventually another will replace it.
We like happily ever after movies because once the major conflict is overcome, the hero(s) appear to achieve the perfect life. The problem is we don’t see the rest of the story. We don’t see the next conflict arising in their lives. We don’t see the struggle they face to overcome that conflict. And then the next…and the next.
Life doesn’t get easier, it gets harder, but take courage!
As the life’s difficulties grow, so does our ability to face these bigger giants. When the 12 fingered, 12 toed 10 foot tall giant shows up in our lives, we’ll be ready…we just knocked off his little brother.
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