Giants and cardboard

So this weekend at church the service was about giants. It was about how everyone has their own giants and that they can't wear other's armor to fight them. He referenced David and Goliath and how facing this giant was an even greater feat for him, the small unknown boy with just a sack of rocks. He talked about how he tried on the armor of the king, but it just swallowed him, so he went at it the way he felt he was led too and won.

I think it's so true. I know in my life I have struggles I deal with, things I have to make a conscious effort to deny, to avoid, get past and steer clear of. I know that for some that I know, their giants would be easy for me to face, and vice versa for them. For instance, I don't have an 'addictive' personality, meaning that I have tried many harmful things once, twice, or a handful of times and was able to walk away unscathed. However, one try for some would lead to a lifetime of addiction. For me, when I went through all the mental yuck, it was easy for some to tell me to 'just get over it'. And BELIEVE ME, if I could have just turned it off like that, I would have. But for them, it just seemed that easy. I also know about hanging on to your past. My husband seems to be able to forget and let go of anything hurtful from his past, things he's had the unfortunate place in, or things that he's done. But others I know seem to be 'stuck' in their past. They can't get by one day without feeling regret, remorse or like they don't have a chance (or even deserve) to move forward because of what happened yesterday.

My giants are MY giants, and their's are theirs.

At the same time, we can't use another person's armor to defend ourselves. Just because someone you know has more spiritual 'experience', or deeper relationship, you can't rely solely on them to 'fix' your struggle with your giants. At the same time, someone you know can't will you to 'be better' because of their life with Christ, or even simpler their ability to get past those giants in their lives. I have to strengthen MY relationship with Christ, I have to seek help to fight MY giants. And I can't feel guilty about those giants in my past. I can't feel guilty about my inability to successfully defeat them like those around me. I can't try to defeat these giants, just to please those around me, but because I am a work-in-progress and am totally worth it to Him. It's not about what they think, it's about what He knows. Because again, they are MY giants, not theirs.

I do believe that those giants can be overcome though. I know in the past I have been so quick to say, I can't do it, because I have been unable to up until that point. But in that mindset, I'm closing the door on God. I'm boxing Him up in a neat little package of MY understanding. I'm limiting what can be done because of what I feel can be done by ME. But I'm not alone. It's not just me. These giants will not win, they cannot win, and I have to have the faith to hold on to that, to believe in that, to not forget that the next time one of my giants knocks on my door. I can do EVERYTHING through Christ that strengthens me. I have to build up my armor to have that strength.

A friend sent this my way and I thought it worked SO well with what I've been thinking about lately, about our giants and about how through strengthening our armor (having a deeper relationship with Christ, learning, questioning, seeking...) we can overcome.


Verse to Ponder: Philipians 4:13 (NKJV) I can do all things through Christ that strengthens me.