Every one of us, at some point in our lives, have come up against a seemingly unbeatable opponent. Perhaps it was a bad attitude, a tough family situation, a breaking down friendship, an overwhelming goal, or maybe just Algebra homework. When we get to the point of feeling like we’re David fighting Goliath — what do we do? How do we allow God to work in our lives and lead us into the Promised Land?
Every time we face a struggle, God is there. Whether we allow Him into our lives or not, He is watching and He knows how we can come out victorious with His help. However, so many of us fail to realize His incredible presence and the promises that He is making to us.
The point of today’s message is not that we will never face challenges — but that with God’s assistance, we can face and overcome every giant in our lives.
1. Find your mountain
So many people walk through life as cowards. They are too afraid to do anything, too afraid to be anything. They don’t want to be somebody — they’d rather be just like everyone else, a copycat. They think about dreams and potential goals all of the time but never settle for something to strive after.
God calls us, as Christians, to have goals. He tells us to let Him lead us into a beautiful life with Him where we are living as Christ’s ambassadors in our every walk of life.
Setting goals gives you an idea of where you want to go. Every morning I wake up and now why I’m doing what I’m doing. Every day I write because I have a goal of publishing a book. Every day I study because I want an A in all of my classes. Every day I read the Bible because I want to finish it in a year. Setting goals lets you know what direction you’re headed. Recently I had the opportunity to climb Flat Top Mountain in Anchorage, Alaska. As we were climbing, we could notice these smaller hills.
I needed some outside force to tell me that that’s not where I was going.
Stop wandering about aimlessly. Find something to strive after. Set goals.Grab a notebook right now and start writing out where you want to go in life.No one ever got anywhere important without a plan. Pick your mountain.
Start climbing.
Face your giants.
2. Believe you can succeed
There’s one issue with goals — them by themselves are not enough. A sheet of paper with your dreams and goals on it will do nothing. They require action, but before action, faith. The first thing that you have to do is believe that you can do it. If you write something down but consider it impossible, it will never happen. Always remember that everything is possible if it is in God’s will and you ask for His help.
“I heard of a story of two farmers praying to God for rain to come. Both prayed but only one prepared the land. Who do you think trusted God more to send the rain?”
-Facing the Giants
This story is a great one from one of my favorite movies. What good is praying to God for success if we don’t believe that He’s going to follow through, and acting on that belief?
Studying the book of Joshua recently has taught me a lot about success. Joshua and the Israelites had to believe God’s promise that they would take over the land of Canaan and be victorious, that was the most important thing. Actually planning their attack wasn’t where it started. First, they had to believe that it was possible.
The other day I participated in a debate tournament. It was the first debate tournament of the season for many, and I was as prepared as ever. This is my second year of debate and I was struggling with some arrogance. I was way more prepared than others and than I had been last year, but I had to stay humble. The thing with humility is, though, it doesn’t mean you shouldn’t want to win.
Well, I wanted to win. I wanted to do well — after all, I had put in so much work, might as well pay off somehow, right?
It did.
We got to the awards ceremony at the end of the day and I won second place overall, only losing to one of my best friends (not to mention my debate small group leader). There was something that I was even more proud of though, a 6–0 record. That means I won every round, every round! The best record I had ever had was 3–3, only winning half of them. My expectation at this tournament, my minimum goal, was to have a 4–2 record. I far exceeded that with the help of God (and the encouragement of many of my friends.)
But here’s the catch — I had to believe that that was possible. It didn’t happen by chance or accident because that’s not how debate works.
No, the night before I had opened up my journal and I had challenged myself to win the tournament in huge letters that took up the entire page. Even though I wasn’t holding myself to that standard, I completely believed that it was possible.
The result, I won every round I entered into.
It’s amazing what happens when you believe that you will reach the top of the mountain. Trust that God has already given you the victory, and you simply have to execute the work to achieve it. Take over the land that the Lord has already given to you.
3. Climb the mountain
Knowing your goals and believing that your achievement of them is possible is not enough. Action is required. In the Old Testament, God gave His people the Land, but they still had to take possession of it. God has given you great victories, you simply haven’t stepped into them yet. The Lord might be calling you to be President of the United States, but if you never run for office — it will never happen.
If there’s one thing I’ve noticed about mountain climbing, is that it doesn’t happen without some effort. If it didn’t require effort, that moment when you reach the top and see the beautiful view wouldn’t be quite as great.
God is calling you to action. Act on your goals. Act on His promises. Nobody ever reached the top of Mount Everest without a little work.
Know what mountain your climbing. Believe that reaching the top is possible. Start climbing.
Joshua 1:6–7 “Be strong and courageous, for you shall cause these people to inherit the land that I swore to their fathers to give them. Only be strong and very courageous, being careful to do according to all the law that Moses my servant commanded you. Do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may have good success wherever you go.”
God has a plan for you. Don’t settle for being stagnant. Hustle, move about. Enter the Promised Land with God leading you and you will be victorious. Never be afraid, He is with you everywhere. Never think that it’s impossible because it isn’t. Never doubt — because then you will never succeed.
God wants you to obey Him, and He has challenged you, commanded you, to be different.
Face your giants.
David was an ant compared to Goliath. Was he a bit nervous? Yes. Did everyone doubt him? Yes. Did God promise to help him? Yes. Did he come out victorious? Yes. We can too.
The climbing of the biggest mountain starts with a single step. The defeat of Goliath began with a single stone. What action will you take today? Take that pack on your back and those shoes on your feet and start climbing.
You have no idea what a beautiful display is waiting for you at the top.
Love, Katie
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