Sunday, August 13, 2017

Battling the Giants in Your Life!

We all have or will at some point in our lives find ourselves facing a challenge that appears impossible, an unsurmountable “Giant” of a problem.  There is the biblical story of David and Goliath that often reminds me that given the right approach, we can overcome the giants we may face.  The biblical story of David and Goliath, found in 1 Samuel 17, provides a lesson on how to approach and defeat the giants in our lives.  Here are a few strategies I’ve learned from how David defeated Goliath:

1. David did not confront the problem using a conventional approach.  He first put on the traditional battle gear and then quickly discarded it because he recognized that using a conventional approach was not going to work.
2. David focused on his strengths, not his weaknesses.  Rather than look at the giant and conclude that he could never defeat him, he considered his areas of strength and chose to approach the problem from a strong point.  He picked up five stones and his sling shot, recognizing that his expertise in this area would give him the distinct advantage of striking from a distance.
3. David did not overestimate his skills, he was realistic and level headed.  He didn’t pick up one stone assuming he was going to dispose of his problem in one attempt, he picked up five stones.  He was ready to take five shots, five approaches to overcoming the challenge he faced.  He demonstrated humility and recognized that eating this elephant might take more than one bite.
4. David did not get discouraged or dismayed by the size of the problem, Goliath was one big giant of a warrior.  Instead, he trusted his faith in God and the gifts that God has given him.  His emotional intelligence was critical as he displayed self-awareness by recognizing what he could achieve, self-regulation by controlling his fears, and motivation by focusing on the goal and the importance of the victory.  
5. Finally, David used the victory to his advantage.  His ability to take down the giant, to overcome this insurmountable task, enabled him to lead others confidently into battle. He recognized that this victory provided momentum to win the greater battle and quickly moved on to the next challenge.

There are many lessons to be learned from David’s strategy for defeating Goliath.  He would go on to become the King of Israel and win many more battles because he was faithful to God, remembered to think out of the box, focused on his strengths instead of his weaknesses, believed that victory was possible, and used the victories of the past to motivate others to take on new challenges.  You too can defeat the Goliath’s in your life, it simply takes faith in God and the wisdom of a shepherd boy called David.  Just a little advice to go!  

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