Giant Slayers and Life Givers
I love to hear the stories about spiritual "Giant Slayers" who accomplished great things for God. They are the stories about spiritual battle with the forces of evil that set people free and believers who prayed bold prayers which were answered in miraculous ways. Sometimes the story is one of perseverance over the decades among a people long resistant to the gospel. At long last they have begun to respond to the life changing gospel message. There are stories of individuals who bravely leave everything and go out into the deepest and darkest places on the planet to bring the "good news", take a stand for righteousness, confront evil and injustice. They were willing to risk it all for Christ. I love these stories of people who faced insurmountable obstacles to accomplish something they believed God led them to do.
These remarkable people started out to accomplish what seemed impossible and maybe a bit crazy. And yet, God somehow worked in ways to overcome or remove the obstacle and accomplish what looked to be impossible. When I hear these stories, I am deeply moved and the tears well up. Maybe you respond differently, but I'm guessing you too feel something that words are inadequate to express. We love these stories; I love these stories. We love to hear them and re-tell them. They are stories of faith, courage, vision, life change, freedom, salvation, and the beginning of movements that impact cities and nations. These stories inspire us, encourage us, and challenge us to believe God for greater things and obey Him more fully. We need to hear them and we need to tell them. They are our own personal Hebrews chapter 11 stories. And yet, by themselves, these stories are incomplete.
The story of the Giant Slayer is not complete without telling you about those people who supported, encouraged, and helped them along the way. They did not act alone. God sent them help along the way, help from "Life Givers". These Life Givers listened to them, prayed with them, encouraged them, wept with them, and reminded them of who they were and of their value. Without the Life Giver, some would have quit along the way and never seen the end of the story. If we only focus on the Giant Slayers and the amazing things that happened, it can actually have a negative impact on us, tempting us to believe things about people and ourselves that are just not true. Giant Slayers have doubts and at times despair but then God sends them a Life Giver.
When I stand next to Giant Slayers, I often feel small, insignificant, and weak in my faith. Years ago, I was visiting a thriving church in rural China and met a pastor who had spent 25 years in prison for his faith. He was in his 70’s, almost blind, and bent over. But when he stepped into the pulpit that morning, he came alive. His life was characterized by faith and joy, not bitterness and brokenness. I felt like a spiritual "midget". I asked myself, "Would I trust God the way this man trusted God." On bad days I might be tempted to describe my spiritual life as "pathetic". It's hard not to add feelings of guilt when you compare yourself to Giant Slayers, for we feel that we are not doing enough for God and His Kingdom. These stories can amplify negative feelings about ourselves leading us to ask, "Why doesn't my life have results like this?" or "Why am I not bolder or willing to take greater risks in my life?" My own reflection on these feelings and dark thoughts are that they are "normal" but often not true, not helpful, and not kind. Rather than increase our faith, they diminish our faith. That's a clue, by the way, that comparisons, guilt, and shame are diminishing and destructive motivators. They change our focus from Christ to ourselves and that is always a bad choice. In the valley of comparisons, we fail to see our unique, powerful, and impacting role in God's Kingdom. Sadly, this is especially true for those believers I’m calling "Life Givers". These individuals contribute far beyond anything they could imagine. And yet, they would rarely think of what they do as significant or "making a contribution". As they live out how Christ is being formed in them, they leak life to others. Sadly, they are not immune to comparison. The ones they compare themselves with are the ones who desperately need them. In this regard, Life Givers also need to hear words that are true, helpful, and kind to their souls, such as “You played an important part in the remarkable things God did through the Giant Slayers.”
When a Giant Slayer is affirmed for their faith and deeds, they are being tested to see if they will first give glory to God and then point to the Life Givers in their life. When they do, they remind themselves and us that they could not have done what they did without Life Givers. When Life Givers are tempted to think they have nothing to offer, they too diminish the work God is doing through them.
How about you? Who are the Life Givers in your life? Have you thanked them or recognized them recently. Turning this around, who could you affirm and encourage? And to all the Life Givers out there, would you please sit with the Lord and allow Him to affirm your good yet often unseen work. As to being a Giant Slayer, let’s leave that for others to recognize when we have gone.
Mike Sohm
Retired CAMA Services Director