Giants In Your Mind

1. Voice of God

In our daily interactions with people, we will meet some who are nice and some who are mean to us. Due to our fallen human nature, we tend to replay in our minds the nasty incidents and hurtful words we encounter in our relationships. We become distracted by the voices of  these unpleasant people. Instead of dwelling on these negative voices and letting other people define who we are, what is the voice of God (spoken through Bible verses) within us saying about us?

2. God will strengthen you within

Does God think you are dumb? Definitely not because He says you are fearfully and wonderfully made (Psalm 139:14). Did He make you like the people you know? Of course not. He has wired you differently because He is a God of variety (1 Corinthians 12:4-6). For instance, He may have made you to be more quiet and introverted. Being so, you may, in front of certain significant people (whom you think don’t like you), prefer to be quiet rather than expose yourself to criticisms from them.

As such, you become overly conscious of people’s opinion of you. Such self consciousness will not go away just because you will it to be so. Instead, when you turn to God and ask Him to help you, God will go through these encounters with you, both the pleasant and the unpleasant.  Through such encounters, God will strengthen your inner fibres such that the sting from the unfair comments become less painful even though they are still there.

3. Battle of the mind

It’s a battle of the mind; just like Jesus’ battle with satan in the wilderness (Matthew 4:1-11). You remember what happened when Peter took his eyes off Jesus in the storm?  He sank (Matthew 14:24-33).  Tell God, ” Father, I can’t do this battle on my own. I need your help. When I hear words that condemn me, I remember that in Jesus, there is no condemnation (Romans 8;1). Nothing can separate me from your love for me (Romans 8:35-39). You will fulfil your purpose for me (Psalm 138:8). I will trust you even if the storm is still there. I surrender my situation into your hand as I am not in control but you are. And you will direct it for your glory, not mine. For your desired outcomes, not mine. Even if I don’t get what I want, I still have you”. Pray like this to God. Press on and you will have godly success.

4. You have godly success when God is with you

Godly success in God’s eyes is not the removal of pain but the presence of God in your pain. Joseph was successful because God was with him even though he was  sold as a slave (Genesis 39:23). David was successful because God was with him (1 Samuel 18:14) when he faced his giant (1 Samuel 17:45-47). Nehemiah was successful because God was with him even as he met with opposition when he built the wall.

5. Giants first defeated in the mind and then in the flesh

Trust God and persevere even when the situation is severe. It is a journey God will take with you even as you face the giants in your mind. Just remember – the giants were defeated first in the mind before they were defeated in the flesh (Exodus 14:13-14). God is with you. His name is Immanuel.