This book by popular author Nell W. Mohney, draws from the biblical story of David and Goliath, offering readers inspiration and encouragement for facing and defeating the spiritual "giants" in their lives such as: grief, depression, procrastination, stress, perfectionism, anger and resentment, jealousy, lust, and loneliness. Questions are provided at the end of each chapter to help individuals and groups "dig a little deeper."
Slay Your Giants
Life Lessons from the Story of David and GoliathBy Nell W. MohneyAbingdon Press
Copyright © 2007 The United Methodist Publishing House
All right reserved.ISBN: 978-0-687-49106-3Chapter One
The Story of David and Goliath
But David said to the Philistine, "You come to me with sword and spear and javelin; but I come to you in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. This very day the LORD will deliver you into my hand." (1 Samuel 17:45-46)
My encounter with Julia caused me to go home and reread the biblical story of David and Goliath in its entirety. It is not only an inspirational story but also a fascinating character study offering some valuable life lessons that can help us as we face giants in our own lives.
A Boy Fights a Giant
Scene 1: David Takes a Care Package to His Brothers
Jesse, an Israelite, had eight sons. The three oldest were in Saul's army; four tilled the soil with their father; and David, the youngest, watched over and cared for the sheep. Like any contemporary father, Jesse was concerned about and prayed for the three who were in harm's way in battle. Without access to television or postal service, Jesse longed to know how they were doing. So from time to time, he sent a "care package" to his sons in the army.
As the drama opens, Jesse has instructed David to go and check on his brothers and bring back word. My guess is that he hoped to receive a letter from each of the three. David also is to take a bushel of roasted grain and ten loaves of bread to his brothers and cheese for the captain of the army (see Samuel 17:4-7). A smart father!
In scene one, we find young David engaged in a mundane task—taking food to his brothers in the army. Similarly, we are often engaged in normal, everyday activities when we encounter our own giants—such as grief, depression, stress, resentment, loneliness, or disappointment.
Scene 2: David Meets Goliath
After the long walk, David arrives at the valley of Elah where the Philistine army is camped. He hears everyone talking about the Philistine giant, Goliath, who is nine feet tall—and this is before the days of steroids, growth pills, and basketball teams! Goliath wears a bronze helmet, a two-hundred-pound coat of mail, and bronze leggings; and he carries a bronze javelin, which is several inches thick. His armor bearer, who carries a huge shield, walks ahead of Goliath (see 1 Samuel 17:4-7).
As David watches, Goliath appears and shouts his challenge for a Hebrew to come and fight him. If Goliath wins, the Hebrews will become slaves of the Philistines, and vice versa. Young David can't believe that no one in the army of the Lord has the courage to fight the giant. Saul has offered incentives—a large purse of money, one of his daughters' hand in marriage, and permanent exemption from paying taxes (see 1 Samuel 17:23). This is the ultimate concession for a politician at any time in history!
In scene two, we learn that we have to face our giants. We can live in denial by pretending that they are not there; but if we don't face them, we'll be intimidated and, ultimately, defeated.
Scene 3: David Fights Goliath
Despite the pleas of his brothers, David goes to King Saul and says in effect, "Don't worry about anything. I'll take care of the Philistine." Saul takes one look at the teenager and says, "Don't be ridiculous! You are nothing but a boy, and Goliath has been in the army since he was a boy." Then David tells Saul that God will protect him just as he has protected him while keeping sheep. He says, "The Lord who saved me from the claws and teeth of the lions and bore me safe, will bear me safe from the Philistines" (1 Samuel 17:32-37 TLB).
We know the rest of the drama—how David rejects Saul's armor and goes forth with five smooth stones, his sling, and a mighty faith in God. He calls out to the giant, "You come to me with a sword and a shield, but I come to you in the name of the LORD, the very God you defy. Today, the LORD will conquer you and Israel will learn that the LORD does not depend upon weapons to fulfill his plan. He works without regard to human means. He will give you to us" (1 Samuel 17:45-47, author's paraphrase). Psychologically, that's good stuff!
And that is exactly what happened. As 1 Samuel 1:50 tells us, "So David triumphed over the Philistines with a sling and a stone. Without a sword in his hand, he struck down the Philistine and killed him with Goliath's sword" (author's paraphrase).
David's Threefold Strategy
As I read the story, it occurred to me that all of us fight giants that intimidate us and cause us to be less than God created us to be. Yet there is hope. If we will become like David, we not only can face our giants but we can also slay them—overcome them—permanently! To become like David, we need to do three things:
1. Reject the Armor of Others
As we face the giants that attack us at different times in our lives, we can't simply observe how most people fight a similar giant and seek to use their armor. Just as David knew that Saul's heavy armor would not work for him, so also we must reject the world's armor of hatred, revenge, or lust as being not right for us. Instead, we can read widely about our giants and learn from other people of faith who have fought and won similar battles. These persons of faith—those of today as well as those of Bible days—can give us practical suggestions about winning the battle in a manner pleasing to God. From their suggestions, we can choose what is right for us.
In addition to looking to the example of others, we should remember the armor that Paul suggests in Ephesians 6:13-18: truth, righteousness, peace, faith, salvation, God's Word (the Bible), prayer, and perseverance. We must choose our armor in light of the Christian gospel and allow God to tailor make it perfectly for our unique circumstances.
For example, once when I was fighting the giant of fear, I recalled relevant scripture verses such as "Perfect love casts out fear" (1 John 4:18); and "God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind" (2 Timothy 1:7 NKJV). Still, it was not until I was ready to believe these truths and step out in faith that they became tailormade for me and for my circumstance. Though I had conditioned my mind with faith and scripture, which enabled me to believe that I could conquer the giant of fear, I didn't actually slay the giant until I did the thing I feared. In other words, I applied my belief through action. Let me share two instances of how this worked for me.
I used to be terrified of deep water, so I decided to take a swimming class. I got along fine in the shallow water; it was when the instructor told us to dive into deep water that everything in me rebelled. Yet, I knew that all my good intentions and biblical affirmations of faith would not be operative until I did my part and dove in. I closed my eyes and thought of the good life I had had until then, never expecting to come out of that water! Actually, I discovered that it is easier to swim in deep water.
Another fear was learning to speak publicly. I was even frightened of standing before a group and making a simple report. It was when I did my best and left the rest to God that I began to relax and even to enjoy the process. It took several years of making myself accept speaking invitations before I began to look forward to every opportunity, and eventually I came to feel that God was revealing that communication through speaking and teaching was one of my spiritual gifts.
So, rejecting the armor of others and finding what is right for us involves considering how we might learn from other persons of faith, examining the scriptures, and conditioning our minds with God's Word, and then taking action by faith.
2. Use Your Own Resources
In the biblical story, David was successful by using his own equipment—five smooth stones and a sling. We, too, have resources that can help us to fight the giants that threaten to defeat us. One of these resources is a healthy body. Though we may not be as physically fit as we'd like, we are alive and can strive to improve our physical condition or make the best of any limitations we may have.
When our bodies are ill, or even when we are fatigued, worried, or have no sense of well-being, we have no energy or motivation to face our Goliath. Because we are indeed one entity—body, mind, and spirit—what affects one of these aspects of our being will automatically affect the other two.
During the second week of hospitalization following surgery for ovarian cancer, I received my first chemotherapy treatment and began to dread nine more months of treatment. Then, into my hospital room came my friend Jane Isbell, who had had the same surgery and similar chemotherapy treatments. She was wearing a white running suit, and she looked healthy and radiant. In addition to sharpening my faith, she gave me one piece of advice: Work hard at keeping your body strong. She explained, "That will enable you to fight the disease." In the months that followed, I thought of Jane in that running suit whenever I didn't want to eat or exercise, and I did what she said.
Another resource we can use is our minds, which are far more complex than the most sophisticated computer. What is true for computers is true for the human mind: "garbage in, garbage out." We are bombarded daily with media messages of bad news, negative and evil events, concerns about terrorism, natural disasters, and economic distress. These messages affect not only our thoughts, but also our emotions, attitudes, and behaviors.
I know a very successful, positive Christian businessman who says that he never watches the news just before going to bed. Instead, he gets the news earlier in the day and, before going to sleep, he relaxes and reads the Bible—the one book he can read without having to stand guard over his thoughts. As he reads, he is encouraged by the promises of an omnipotent God. Consequently, his sleep is not disturbed and he awakens with optimism and a feeling of joy. He has learned the important lesson that we must stand guard over our thoughts, for it is through our minds and hearts that the Holy Spirit can move most effectively and guide us.
In addition to the Bible, there are some secular resources—sources of information—that can help equip us to defeat our giants, such as libraries, encyclopedias, and the Internet. These resources can provide us with valuable information about our giants and how to defeat them.
Most important, we have the resource of our will, which gives us the power to choose what we think. And as we've seen, what we think determines not only our attitudes but also our actions. It is when we use this resource that we are empowered to move from victim to victor.
3. Have a Mighty Faith in God
A mighty faith, as opposed to a weak faith, is rooted in confident belief in God and God's Word, unswerving trust in God, and faithful obedience to God. It is exemplified by steadfast and courageous day-by-day actions. I am inspired and encouraged when I read the stories of persons who have exhibited this kind of faith in God—persons such as Martin Luther, the founder of the Protestant Reformation; John Wesley, the founder of Methodism; Mother Teresa, who spent her life serving the poor and dying; Corrie ten Boom, who went to a concentration camp because of her commitment to Christ in helping Jewish families; and Nelson Mandela, who went to prison seeking to defeat apartheid, which prevented his countrymen from being recognized as equal and worthy citizens. All of these persons were able to fight social giants because of their mighty faith in God.
Because these and other well-known Christians have influenced us on our own faith journeys, we sometimes may feel that our own faith is small and inadequate. Remember Jesus' parable about the mustard seed. He said, "It is the smallest of all the seeds, but when it has grown it is the greatest of shrubs and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and make nests in its branches" (Matthew 13:32).
So it is with our faith. As we continue to study God's Word, think, pray, and act, we find our faith growing stronger. Eventually ours becomes the kind of faith that encourages and blesses others on their journey—a mighty faith in God.
Now Let's Begin the Journey
In the following chapters, we will explore how we can use David's threefold strategy as we encounter personal and social giants that threaten our physical, emotional, mental, or spiritual well-being. Using the story of David and Goliath as our foundation, we will draw upon additional scripture passages in each chapter for further instruction in facing and fighting the various giants that threaten us. I hope you will find the book to be a practical guide to finding the "abundant life" Jesus describes in John 10:10. Enjoy the journey!
Digging a Little Deeper
1. Reread 1 Samuel 17. Why was David the only Israelite ready to fight the Philistine?
2. Put yourself in the place of young David as a devout follower of Jehovah when he encountered the giant Goliath. What would your emotions have been, and how would you have responded to them? As an adult, what is your first reaction when you encounter a "giant"? Is it fear, panic, resentment, or a quiet confidence that nothing can happen that you and God together can't handle? How can we cultivate a growing confidence and assurance in God? 3. Ask yourself the following questions about David's threefold strategy:
• Reject the armor of others. Have you ever tried to use someone else's pieces of "armor"—suggestions, advice, or strategies—and found that they were not right for you or your situation? Explain. • Use your own resources. What are some of your resources that, when used in cooperation with God's power, can make you "more than a conqueror"? How, specifically, could each of these resources benefit you? • Have a mighty faith in God. What steps can you take to strengthen your faith so that it becomes "a mighty faith"?
4. What is one "giant" you are currently facing? Why or how is this "giant" threatening to you? How might you follow David's threefold strategy to defeat this giant?
5. What strategies have you tried that haven't worked and should be left behind (worry, fear, panic, etc.)? How have these failed you?
6. What part of David's threefold strategy can you incorporate today?
(Continues...)
Excerpted from Slay Your Giantsby Nell W. Mohney Copyright © 2007 by The United Methodist Publishing House. Excerpted by permission of Abingdon Press. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
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