Here we are again, a New Year and for many of us we are moving along the same progression of purposeful pursuit. Yet for some we enter this New Year with apprehensive dreams, goals, and new perspectives as to what we want to accomplish. However there is one thing we see in our near future that can cause problems in accomplishing these goals and dreams: A Giant. Either this giant is in your near future or this giant has plagued you for many days, weeks, or years. This giant can come in the form of naysayers, low self-esteem (a false view of self), or even others trying to dictate what you do and how you do it. You are weary, weighed down and been waiting for inspiration or permission to get started with accomplishing your dreams. Here is a clue as to when to begin: NOW!!!!

The young shepherd boy David was also faced with a giant in the path of him becoming king. In the 16th chapter of 1 Samuel David was anointed as king. He had a positional blessing that wasn’t manifested in practice yet, or better yet he was anointed for something and had not yet walked in it.  Many of us also have things that God has anointed us for, but we have not yet seen the fulfillment of them. In order to not over spiritualize this statement, let’s simply say that there are some dreams and goals that we see but for whatever reason there is something blocking you from reaching them. In fact there are some things in your life that you are trying to accomplish that no one else can or will accomplish. Look at Saul as an example, it is worthy to note that Saul, whose height was emphasized earlier in the text as being “from the shoulders up there was no man found taller” (1 Sam 9:2) and yet was not found courageous enough to accept the challenge to slay the giant. Many of you reading this find yourself in a similar position, for you are a trail blazer to break the cycle of illiteracy, the cycle of entitlement, the cycle of not pursuing your dreams. You may not stand as tall as Saul or others in your family, circle, community, etc but you are brave enough to pursue those dreams and slay the giant.

This year it is my prayer that you see the incredible potential inside of you. I remember as a 1st year college student reading Myles Munroe’s books on Potential and to summarize, he states that potential is places you have not gone that you can go, dreams you have not dreamed that you can dream, or things you can do that you have yet to do. In 2012 remember the only way to eat an elephant is to take one bite at a time, the only way to climb a mountain is to take one step at a time, the only way to drive a stick shift is to change one gear at a time, and the only way to slay a giant is to make a decision to face it. Don’t be one of the 10 spies (Numbers 13) who saw the giants in Canaan and “saw themselves” as grasshoppers in the giants’ sight, but see yourself as the only 2 spies that saw themselves as over comers. Notice, the 10 spies came back and saw themselves as grasshoppers in the sight of the giants – how often do you assume how someone else sees you? How often do you allow others to detour you? David looked at the uncircumcised giant as opposition and saw him as so big he couldn’t miss.

One last lesson I would like to emphasize in this passage. Before David faced the giant, Saul interviews him and in many ways has similarities to Goliath. Saul is found placing His trust in his military experience and strong armor (1 Sam 17: 31-40) yet he lacked the courage to stand up to Goliath. After hearing the resume of David, Saul agrees to let this young boy go fight a grown man’s battle. Saul places his armor on David and the young boy could barely move. Oftentimes people place on you pressures, expectations, and other things that they themselves couldn’t even fulfill. We have to remove those things and fight the battle God gives us the way He wired us to fight it. As God spoke to Moses, “what is that in your hand?” (Ex 4:2), he could be symbolically speaking to us “what is that in your hand?” “What have I placed in you?” As John C Maxwell puts it “keep moving forward on the journey, making the best of the detours and interruptions, turning adversity into advantage.” Begin to tell your giant of low self-esteem, giant of low math skills, giant of poverty, etc that “Today the Lord will conquer you, and I will kill you and cut off your head.” Overcoming your giant on the path to your dreams and goals being fulfilled can be an incredible witness to the world of who your God is. One writer stated that “David’s conquest over Goliath revealed the power that one faithful man could possess—the man with the kind of heart God looked for (13:14; 16:7)”

What is your dream? What are you praying to accomplish this year? Pursue your passion! Ask yourself, why not me? Why not today? – SE7EN