It is important to take a good, hard look at what you believe. Afterward you must confront yourself, and you must confront your giant — your Goliath who stands at the entrance of your personal promised land, taunting you, defeating you, and threatening to keep you from reaching your potential.
What’s your giant, your Goliath? You cannot seize your victory until you confront what defeats you. What is it about you that makes it impossible for you to surmount your hurdles, whether they be harmful personal habits or well-worn paths of defeat?
There is a great strength in admitting a weakness. Most of us have at least one Achilles’ heel. Those who are successful get there by understanding their weaknesses and vulnerabilities and dealing with themselves accordingly.
Motivational speaker Zig Ziglar spoke about a friend who learned to handle his personal giant of pornography:
I have a friend who became addicted to pornography and has broken the habit. Recognizing that weakness, he is careful not to have even the slightest exposure to anything of a pornographic nature. If he’s in a place where the television set is on and there’s suggestive language or behavior that is of a lustful or seductive nature, he immediately leaves the scene. That is smart.
Another major key to confronting your Goliath is discipline. The great violinist Isaac Stern, who was instrumental in preserving Carnegie Hall, was asked, “Is talent born?” The question was in reference to an outstanding performance. He responded, “Yes, talent is born, but musicians are made.” Becoming a great musician involves a vast amount of discipline, hard work, and talent. No matter how great the talent, unless an individual is personally disciplined, much of the potential remains just that — potential.
Ziglar said, “Tie discipline to commitment, and it becomes an irreversible decision that you will do today what most people won’t, so you can have tomorrow what most people can’t.” I believe that says it all.
You may be thinking, “That’s great. When you have bootstraps to pull yourself up with, you can always succeed. But what if you’ve tried and tried and discovered you have no bootstraps? Then what?”
Help is still available. Let me explain.
The Bible says truth makes you free. (See John 8:32.) If you consider that negative habits and behaviors are actually personal bondages, then finding freedom becomes an important factor. Truth is not often easy to accept — especially the truth about yourself. It takes a strong desire for freedom to overcome the denial and self-deception that keep you locked into lifestyles formed by negative behaviors and harmful habits.
But you can find the strength to approach difficult truths about yourself and to find freedom through faith in God. Faith is a powerful force, a force greater than any other in the entire universe. Faith is also a force that you can tap into at any moment of lack or need.
You do not have to face the power of addictive behaviors alone. At this very moment you can ask God for help, and He will not turn you away. The Bible says, “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you” (Luke 11:9, MEV). If you’re facing the power of a seemingly insurmountable habit or personal weakness, don’t face it alone. Confront your Goliath armed with faith in God and an understanding that He loves you with a love that is beyond your ability to even comprehend. God Himself will help you fight the battles in your life.
Discover tips to look better and feel better this Monday and Tuesday on LIFE TODAY with special guest Francisco Contreras, M.D. This is an excerpt from Look Younger, Live Longer by Francisco Contreras, M.D. Copyright ©2000, 2016 by Francisco Contreras, M.D. Published by Siloam. Used by permission.
