Facing the Giants

You have probably already heard about this movie, and may have already seen it - but I thought I would take the opportunity to put in a plug for it anyway. Facing the Giants is a well written little movie that offers a great overall experience. If you aren't aware, it is a film that was produced and put together by a relatively large church in Georgia. Almost all of the actors, producers, and technicians come from the congregation - in fact, there were only four "professionals" on the entire project. It has remarkable quality given the circumstances, but there are points at which it is quite evident this is not a high budget professional film. Regardless of its budget though, this movie has and will continue to have a big impact on lives, which is more than can be said for many big budget films.

How do I know that it will have an impact? Well, because it had an impact on me. It strikes at the core of life and faith issues - primarily asking the question, "Will we trust God with every aspect of our life and all our dreams?" The story retells, in a new form, the powerful narrative of biblical heroes who followed God's dream for them. They faced the "giants," some of them literally, but the real enemies alluded to here are bigger than any material obstacle we may face, the most ominous giants in the world are fear and doubt.

You know, some people have this misguided notion that pastors have it all together. I'm living proof that that is certainly not the case. There are those people out there for which trusting God with their life, their family, and their dreams just seems to come naturally. I am not one of those people. On one level I know that I trust God, but then things begin to happen in my life that I didn't expect. The waves begin to beat against the boat and it looks like everything is coming apart. There are times when I cry out, What in the world are You doing? Where are You in all of this? And it's as though He's sleeping in the bottom of the boat. Doesn't He care about us? It is then that I begin to doubt and in the midst of doubt - fear grips my heart.

Fear is so cold and dark. In creeps the fear of failure, fear of defeat, fear of letting my family down, fear of letting the congregation down, and ultimately fear of letting God down. It's like your trapped in a dark cell with no air and no light. You can hardly breathe and you can't see the hand reaching out in front of your face. People may come by and try to show you the door, they may try to help you out, but the fear has you deluded - you don't know who to trust, so you stay trapped in the cell.

Now I don't know about you, but there are times that I struggle with the giants of doubt and fear. I grasp tightly to the wheel and try to control things myself because I'm afraid of failure, insignificance, and loneliness. These attempts to control only push me deeper in to the dark cell - further from the fresh air and the light of God's presence. I know that under my direction things begin to unravel, getting worse and worse, but I don't know what else to do. I'm trapped and defeated. Doubt got me into this mess - the only way out is trust!

Trust and belief is not what some people would have us think. It is not always safe and secure, like a guarded fortress. It is risky business. As Barbara Brown Taylor says - It is more like a rope bridge swinging over a deep gorge, with plenty of light and air but little to hang on to except the stories that you've heard - that it is the best and only way to get across to the other side. You have to trust that the bridge is going to hold you, taking just one step at a time. If you cannot trust the bridge enough to take those steps then you'll never make it across. But, I'm here to tell you if Jesus is who He said He is, the bridge will hold. This movie reminded me that we can face the giants trusting that the bridge will get us to the other side.

I hope you give the movie an opportunity to have an impact on you, but more than that I pray that you would join me in facing the giants by releasing control to the Lord and trusting Him with our present life and all our future hopes and dreams. Blessings ~ RLS