The Goliath Principle: There's Always Another Giant.
David took on the mightiest warrior in the opposing army of Philistines and won! However, David soon learned Goliath wasn't the only giant in the land. There's always another giant.
I’m on vacation, so I’m re-posting one of my and your favorite posts from the AndyBondurant website.
This month, I’m sharing things I’ve learned from the books I’ve read this year. True confession time: This post doesn’t contain new knowledge but shares something I use regularly.
Below, I refer to a book I read quite a while ago called Strengths Finder 2.0. I often refer to this book as it has helped me hone in on what I’m best at and focus on those strengths. If you are curious, I am an achiever, learner, strategic, and relator.
Enjoy!
Stop me if you’ve heard this one…
One of the most famous stories in the Bible is David and Goliath. A young shepherd boy faces down a fully grown, literal giant (up to 10 feet tall!). If you’ve been around church, especially as a child, you know the story of David and Goliath. Here is what David spoke to Goliath when they met on the battlefield:
David said to the Philistine, “You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the Lord Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. 46 This day the Lord will deliver you into my hands, and I’ll strike you down and cut off your head. This very day I will give the carcasses of the Philistine army to the birds and the wild animals, and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel. 47 All those gathered here will know that it is not by sword or spear that the Lord saves; for the battle is the Lord’s, and he will give all of you into our hands.” - 1 Samuel 17:45-47 NIV
It’s a mic drop moment. You can speak with faith to the giants you come against in your life. You can all face down the giant standing before you. No matter who you are, when you place your faith in God, there is nothing you can’t conquer!
A lesser-known story is about the other giants David faced. Goliath wasn’t the last giant to confront David.
In 2 Samuel 21, we read about David and his men defeating four other giants from the same area of the country. One was 12-fingered, 12-toed, and 10-foot tall. Not only that, but David was fighting giants as an old man!
There’s always another giant.
The Goliath principle
Of the hundred-plus credit hours I took in college, only a handful of classes stand out. Interestingly, one of my favorites, I honestly can’t tell you the subject (biblical history?)
I loved the class not because of the subject but because of the teacher.
My teacher was Dr. Metz, a retired professor in his 80s who returned to teach this for the regular professor on sabbatical. Many class sessions with Dr. Metz had nothing to do with the subject but involved him talking about life, what he had learned, and answering our questions on any topic we dared bring up.
One of these question-and-answer sessions1 has stuck with me nearly 20 years later. The question was posed,
“Does it get easier to live the Christian life the older you get?”
Dr Metz responded immediately and without hesitation,
“Oh, no, it gets harder.”
We were all stunned. How could that be? How could a man who had been a Christian for 60+ years tell us that living that life was more challenging now than 20, 30, or 40 years earlier?
Shouldn’t life get easier?
This was unsettling, to say the least. I didn’t understand it then, but I see it clearly now. It’s the Goliath principle.
There’s always another giant.
How do you defeat the giants in your life?
Looking at David’s initial encounter with Goliath and his subsequent battles with the other four giants, we learn three important lessons to face and defeat a giant.
Play to your strengths. When David volunteered to fight Goliath, he was offered the most advanced military technology of the day — a sword, shield, and armor. David didn’t know how to use that technology. What he did know was a slingshot, and he was a crack shot!
David embraced his strengths. He excelled with a slingshot, was agile and swift, and radiated confidence from every inch. Additionally, he was a master at trash-talking!
The book Strength Finders suggests we work too hard to improve our weaknesses while allowing our strengths to flounder. It encourages us to reverse this: identify what you are best at, and become world-class at your strengths.
What strengths do you bring to the table? Lean into those things when you face your giant. If you are a prayer warrior, fight with prayer. If you love Scripture, go deep into the word. If you have a great community, lean heavily into it.Admit your weaknesses. Improving your strengths doesn’t mean ignoring your weaknesses; in fact, Strength Finders suggests that we should know our weaknesses so we don’t fall into the traps associated with them.
David nearly fell into the trap of his weakness when facing the final four giants…age. He wasn’t as quick, strong, or battle-ready as he was in his youth. He was busy leading a kingdom, so his fighting skills took the backseat.
What weaknesses do you have? You don’t need to work to improve these, but you must find ways to avoid being tripped up by them. Point three is the best way to avoid being trapped by your weaknesses.Lean on a team. David didn’t face any of the giants alone. When he fought Goliath, it was just the two of them on the battlefield, but he was surrounded by an entire army cheering him on. And when you went on to battle the final four giants, he was supported by some of the most skilled warriors in his army. David had a team.
When facing the giants, you need a team to fight with you. You need people praying for you, sharing Scripture, and encouraging you to fight again today. You aren’t meant to fight a giant alone.
What giant are you facing?
You are facing giants in your life. I know because I’m facing giants in my life. They might be spiritual or practical, finances, relationships, business, addiction, or any number of issues. They change, too. What I face today may very well be different tomorrow.
We all face giants.
The great news is that it can be slain, no matter the giant. However, the harder news is that another will eventually replace it once the first giant is killed.
We like happily ever after movies because the hero is left with a perfect life once the conflict is overcome. However, we never see the rest of the story. In real life, there is a new conflict coming. One giant doesn’t make a hero; it takes multiple giants killed to be the hero we have in our minds.
Life doesn’t get easier. It gets more complicated, but take courage!
As life’s difficulties grow, so does our ability to face these bigger giants. When the 12-finger, 12-toed, 10-foot-tall giant shows up in your life, you’ll be ready…you just knocked off his little brother.
Finally, thank you for your subscription! I am amazed you appreciate my writing enough to make space in your inbox. I would love to hear your thoughts. Would you take a moment to leave a comment?
All the posts from this newsletter will always remain free, but you can show your support through a paid subscription here:
Another way of support is sharing this or any post with a friend who could benefit.
Or, as the new way of saying this, question and response. We don’t always have an answer but are always ready to respond.