“Everyone assembled here will know that the LORD rescues his people, but not with sword and spear. This is the LORD’s battle, and he will give you to us!” 1 Samuel 17:47 (NLT)

Before David faced Goliath in 1 Samuel, he had to fight four other giants. But they weren’t physical giants; they were giants in his mind.

You are far more likely to face those kinds of giants than an actual Goliath, but they can be just as big and intimidating. They can keep you from becoming who God wants you to be and fulfilling the dream that God has put in your heart. 

The first giant in facing your dream is delay. No dream is fulfilled instantly. It may be years before you see the fulfillment of your life dream. There is always a waiting period.

In David’s case, his dad held him back from the dream. After Samuel anointed David as king, Jesse told David to get back to tending the sheep!

When God’s plan contradicts somebody else’s plan, there’s going to be a delay, and people may try to hold you back. But God is faithful, and he will complete his work in you in his timing.

The second giant you may face is discouragement. Goliath created a climate of fear in Israel, and everybody was convinced they were going to lose the battle.

What people are you listening who say it can’t be done? Who’s putting down your dream, saying it won’t ever happen?

Sometimes you just need a fresh voice—a kid from the village with fresh eyes who says, “This giant is nothing. We can take him down.”

The third giant standing in your way is disapproval. In David’s case, his own brother questioned his motives and disapproved of him going after Goliath.

When God gives you a dream that scares other people and you go for it anyway, you will be misjudged, maligned, and misunderstood. That’s when you have to decide what matters most: the approval of others or God’s approval.

The fourth giant you may have to face is doubt. King Saul was an expert on war, and he told David he was crazy for thinking a boy could fight a warrior like Goliath.

Maybe the expert is saying you can’t do it, either. That’s enough to make you start doubting yourself.

When I wrote The Purpose Driven Life, I got a letter from the editor (which I later framed) that said, “This book will never work. Nobody’s going to read 40 chapters.” The experts are often wrong. Don’t let doubt hold you back from God’s dream for your life.