Spring Breakaway Day 2: Battling Giants
(Getting ready to pray before service)
For the second service, Pastor Eric spoke about conquering the giants in our lives. He said that we have trouble identifying our giants because they have become a part of our everyday life. It is when we are aware of our giants, though, that we can successfully conquer them. They may seem daunting, but, as Pastor Eric pointed out, we have to fix our eyes on God rather than on our obstacles. We can't afford to ignore or avoid them. The only way to conquer them is to go into battle.
Almost all our students responded to the alter call of wanting to finally conquer their giants. There were many tears and breakthroughs today. They're not perfect and the battle isn't over, but these students are pursuing God. They made the decision to go into battle.
In 1 Timothy 6:12 (NIV), Paul says, "Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses." Just because we decide to follow God doesn't mean that the battle is over. We have to continually battle for what we believe to be true. We have to fight for our faith. That sounds scary and exhausting. Honestly, many times it is, but we have hope. God has equipped us for the fight.
Through prayer and consistent time spent reading the Bible, we can combat the obstacles and temptations that come against us. Some people downplay how much power is actually in that, but it holds all the power we need to face our giants. Second Corinthians 10:4-5 says, "The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ."
Don't be disheartened when battles come your way because it is a part of our walk with God. They help us to become braver, grow stronger, and be more mature. With God we have all the power we need to face our trials. That's why we spend so much time in service at our retreat and why I can't emphasize enough the importance of spending time reading the Bible and praying. So, if you are facing a giant, go spend time with God and get around a community of believers who can remind you of God's promises and truth during the times your mind gets foggy and you forget.
Pray that the students (and others reading this) would face their giants courageously and that they would cling to God in the process. Ask God to show you what your giant is and what truths you need to know in order to defeat it.
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