(Adapted from The Pastor Is In)
It’s tempting to run from your problems.
When the intimidating situations of life start to creep up on you… when the hard choice is staring you in the face or the heavy consequence of your action is breathing down your neck… when you see a storm looming on the horizon and you know it’s gonna be a doozy, it’s tempting to try to bolt. Your flight-or-fight response kicks into overdrive, and flight always seems like the easier option.
But here’s the thing: problems are like Michael Myers. He never runs, but he’s always right behind you!
Remember the old-school horror movies? One thing that made those films so frightening was the fact that no matter how fast and furiously the victim-to-be ran away, the murderer was always only a few steps behind…and he was WALKING!!! Just when the prey thought that they’d escaped and could breathe a sigh of relief, they turned around…only to be face to face with the killer!
You can probably recall a similar experience with a troubling situation in your life.
It’s possible you procrastinated in making a tough decision or you put off tackling hard chores or you just ignored an important matter altogether.
Maybe you indefinitely tabled a difficult discussion with a family member or friend; every time they tried to talk, you had an excuse.
Maybe every time another letter came in the mail, you immediately put it in the drawer without even opening it, out of sight and out of mind.
And all was well for a while…until one day, the problem was back, bigger than ever, and staring you right in the face!
Israel tried to ignore Goliath. Nobody wanted to step out and deal with him. They kept delaying. Maybe they thought he’d go away, that the Philistines would just be satisfied with the moral victory of making cowards out of God’s people and eventually walk away with their “win.” Maybe they hoped something else would happen to draw the enemy away, an attack on another front or marauders raiding their villages back home. Maybe they prayed they could simply outlast the Philistines’ resolve to fight, that their hunger for battle would subside and war just wouldn’t be worth the work anymore.
But none of that happened. The problem persisted. And the procrastination of the Israelites only served to embolden the enemy. Their fear fed the monster and made him even bigger, badder, and bolder.
We can let the giants in our lives continue to back us down day after day, or we can say, “Enough is enough!” and charge them head on.
A young shepherd boy came to the battle lines one day, and he brought a different perspective with him. Everyone else looked at the giant and asked, “Who are we compared to him?” David saw the same situation and asked, “Who is he compared to our God?” Everyone else saw a giant nine feet tall. David saw a giant eight feet long.
When you find that kind of faith within yourself and you move on it, the surprising result is often a much easier victory than you had anticipated. You’ll find it didn’t take anything close to the amount of time you assumed it would or drain nearly as much of your resources as you feared. Help came out of the woodwork, unforeseen support that you weren’t even counting on. A door opened that you didn’t even see when you initially made up your mind to move. But when you moved, so did God!
Remember, David had five stones in his bag, but he only needed one.
Is there something you’ve been trying to run away from? Something that you’re doing everything in your power to keep from doing? Is there a lingering assignment that you’re afraid to finish? If you’re not an avoider, that’s great; keep charging your giants! But if you find in yourself the tendency to delay doing what needs to be done, start praying for a spirit of bravery and boldness.
We’re called to be conquerors, not cowards. Resolve to stop running; it’s time to stand and fight!
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