Grief is My Goliath

1 Samuel 17:37 (NIV)

37 The Lord who rescued me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will rescue me from the hand of this Philistine.”

Saul said to David, “Go, and the Lord be with you.”

Read 1 Samuel 17

Standing at about nine feet tall, his shadow looms across the battlefield. Covered in armor and with the weapons of a champion he yells and taunts his opponents challenging anyone to stand against him. Beyond the shadow stands a young man wearing no armor, standing tall with only five smooth stones and a sling. What young boy in Sunday School doesn’t love the story of David and Goliath? A story of  a young boy facing a giant in an epic battle of good and evil is sure to capture our attention.

I could never imagine that someday I too would have to face my own giant. Not a human champion covered in armor but a giant of grief that daily marched onto the battlefield of life and taunted me from a distance.

Goliath and grief share many similarities. Both loom large on the battlefield. There is no escaping the size of this opponent. Both have many weapons. Grief is armed with anger, guilt, fear, and doubt. Both taunt us daily. Goliath would stand and challenge his enemy each day. Grief taunts us daily with reminders of our loss. Finally both Goliath and grief had one other shared attribute, they underestimated their opponents.

Who would stand up to Goliath? The rest of the army refused to engage with Goliath. They chose to wait and endure his daily taunts. Some who endure grief choose this strategy. They choose to not face it but try to endure it from a distance. I believe that God has given us a symbol of how to face the Goliath of grief and this symbol is David.

In the story of David’s battle with Goliath I found inspiration in three actions that helped David to be successful. David remembered, resisted, and ran. When we  are faced with the taunts of grief and feel outmatched, remembering these three things can help us find strength.

The first key point is David remembered. He remembered his previous battles against a lion and a bear. Most importantly he remembered that the Lord rescued him. As we face grief, we must remember times in our lives in which God rescued us. By looking back, we are able to more clearly see what lies ahead.

The second point is David resisted. Saul attempted to have David wear his armor. David resisted the temptation to put on armor that did not fit. Instead he put on the armor of God and trusted in the one that previously saved him. When we are grieving many people with good intentions try to offer support to us. We must resist trusting in worldly advice rather than trusting in God.

The third point is David ran. David did not run away from Goliath. Instead David ran to the battlefield to face Goliath. When we face grief, we also face fear. Some retreat by turning to substances, distractions, or denial. When we avoid the battle, our enemy doesn’t go away. We must find the courage and faith to face down our giants.

David’s battle with Goliath provides us insights into our battle with our grief. By remembering, resisting, and running we too can find victory each time grief rises up and calls us to battle. David and Goliath is a story of a mismatch and an illusion. People assume David was the underdog in the story. Faith is never an underdog. If the real battle is God vs Goliath, Goliath never had a chance and neither does our grief.

1 Corinthians 15:55-57 (NIV)

55 “Where, O death, is your victory?

    Where, O death, is your sting?”

56 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.