ARTICLES

Just a Shadow of Intimidation – Goliath –The Bully

by Mari Anne Andersen

The definition of a bully is: someone who is overbearing, who habitually badgers or intimidates smaller or weaker people; someone who domineers through being loud, arrogant or overbearing; an oppressor, persecutor or tormentor. A bully drives us into compliance by the use of threats or force if we allow them to due to our own fear or issues. Our past is the clue to present as well as future defeats or triumphs in our lives.

How many of us have a Goliath in our lives, either literally or figuratively speaking? Maybe there is someone who intimidates, bullies, blames, or sets you up to retreat into defeat through fear so as to not really allow truth, freedom and thus victory in your life. This keeps you in a place of confusion and frustration - feelings such as, “nothing is really going to change, I can’t do anything to make it change, or this is too much for me to handle.” Avoiding the situation is only delaying our call to be a champion in Christ. It is running away from the bully and it is allowing the Goliath to trespass onto our worth, dignity, and identity.

In 1 Samuel 17 we see the Philistines gathered on one side of the mountain ready for battle, and Saul and the men of Israel on the other side. Goliath makes his entrance weighing in with his heavy armor of two to four hundred pounds and his height of ten feet – truly a giant that revealed himself as a threat and challenge to the men of Israel. He was given much attention in this passage with the description of his size, weight, armor and weaponry, all the outward appearance of dress and preparation for a fight. With all the necessary props to make him feel like a champion and his dominance and arrogance, he towers over the armies. Goliath shouted, mocked, and challenged Israel for forty days and forty nights to send in a man to fight as Saul was left in fear, disillusionment, and disheartenment along with his men. Not knowing what to do, he avoided and abandoned his position, his call, and his men.

What are some of the places in your life and relationships that have left you in fear, disillusionment, or disheartenment? What areas are you avoiding or abandoning your position, authority, or call? In what area has God been trying to reach and teach you but you are hiding in the shadows of the giant? Where do you run to protect yourself or provide yourself with false shelter? Do you hide behind fear or shame, or are you one that swallows your feelings to have peace at all cost? Do you unleash anger with a sharp tongue that attacks or do you avoid challenging a situation because it’s uncomfortable? For many of us we have that Philistine hanging around in our daily lives taunting our thoughts and actions, and it drives us further away into seclusion from God and others.

David, the youngest of his brothers, was given the job to toil in his father’s field and tend the sheep, in which he was dutiful and obedient. We also know that he was the small one, the ruddy-face teenager who camped under the stars of heaven with His Creator and had many challenging encounters to prepare him for the “Encounter” of his destiny. Some of our most mundane, daily routine truly prepares us for the greatest breakthroughs of our lives. Being faithful in the small things prepares us for the bigger and greater things that God has awaiting us. When those greater times come, we will be able to accept the challenge and will be ready to move into those places effortlessly.

Psalms 75:1 – “We give praise and thanks to you, O God, we praise and give thanks; that Your name is near Your wondrous works declare, and they who invoke Your name REHEARSE Your wonders.” David was rehearsing the wonders of His God under the canopy of heaven as he was tending the sheep. He was learning to rely, trust, and remain close to His Creator – there was an intimate relationship with and reliance on his God.

Our Father yearns to give us upgrades, promotions in all areas of our lives, but He needs to trust us with the seemingly small tasks. These are constant opportunities and challenges to increase our faith, our trust and our belief. We need to be like David, being attentive in that field tending those sheep that were his responsibility.

It is so much like our Father who arranges divine appointments - for David who happened to arrive on the scene at that time to witness this bully, Goliath, mocking and intimating God. David’s response was quick in action, confronting and engaging this bully. Conflict was part of his daily routine as he had battled the bullies of the lion and the bear to protect and defend the sheep. Never were two warriors more unequally matched by the standards of the world. But by God’s standards, call, choosing and promotion, as well as by God’s preparation, we see David’s great strengths of confidence and assurance moving in for the kill. David did not see the giant as a giant – rather he saw Goliath as an uncircumcised enemy of God who was defying Israel, intimating and bullying God’s people, so David did what came automatically and naturally because of his daily service. In other words, David was no longer just a little boy somewhere in the fields tending sheep, but now he was moving into a champion and warrior’s heart that grew in stature and wisdom.

James 1 – “Consider it pure joy whenever you face trials of many kinds it brings about character, perseverance, courage, maturity and wholeness in Christ NOT lacking anything.” It fashions a champion and not a little boy who is hiding or cowering in the shadow of intimation.

Our past is the clue to our present - and for many of us we have reservations that our voice will not be heard, or we will not make a difference, or it will be too hard to confront the giant; it feels too intimidating to take on the bully. We sometimes become so accustomed to our false refuge, thinking that it will protect us when in actuality, it really enables us to stay stuck in our fear, complacency, dependency or avoidance.

Is there a Goliath in your life that is disguising itself and casting a shadow over YOU, causing you to retreat into defeat, pushing you into hiding your personality, identity or destiny? Who defines you? And what defines you?

Hear the Father’s heart for YOU today:

“This is not a time to take cover – but this is a time to advance into the Philistine camp. This is a time that YOU will slay the giant of intimation – for I am releasing YOU to move forward in this place and I will give YOU favor. I will give YOU a champion’s reward, a badge of honor for YOUR courage to advance even though the giant stands tall, BUT it is just a shadow of intimidation. This shadow of intimidation is covering up YOUR true identity and I AM your Father who longs to remove this shadow. Keep coming to the place of rest and trust in Me so I can be that “clearing-house of thoughts” for YOU. Keep walking in My ways and be humble in thought and courteous in heart so that YOU may walk out My truth in love.”

“Do not retreat for it will be defeat – Stand to advance and YOU will be enhanced.”