When You Feel Less Than

There are days I feel really small.

Itty bitty.

Tiny up next to the size of the struggle around me and those looming ahead of me. 

And itty bitty next to great big?  It's scary.

Fear tells me I am weak and I listen long to those words.

My kids mess up. "I'm a failure."

I step out in my gifting. "Why would anyone listen to you?"

I look in the mirror. "You are going to walk out of the house looking like that?"

I scroll through Facebook. "Too bad you aren't as whatever as so-and-so."

Life feels big and uncomfortable and heavy- like Saul's armor draped on the little shepherd boy David- and panic sets in because I see how small I am...and I know a Goliath is close on my horizon.

All I really want to do is run from these ugly giants in my life.

Because little ole me cannot face big ole that. 

I sit around like the Israelites listening to Goliath heckle them for 40 days, 2 times a day(that's 80 stinking times- for those of you who don't want to hurt your brain).

They listened to what the enemy called them. 

They hunkered down in their smallness and gave ear to his lies.

But David stood up in the middle of feeling less than.

He didn't stand up in who HE was; he stood up in who GOD is.

He reeked of sheep and the world's armor was ill fitting.

But David was a worshipper and what went before him was the aroma of praise.

David was small but he threw off what did not fit and embraced what the Lord had given him: a sling shot and five stones, to be exact.

He didn't compare. He didn't complain.

I have a lot to learn about that.

Throwing off the world's ideals, not listening to the enemy's taunts of who I am and who I am not.

David had a confidence that was great big because he didn't just know the promises of his great big God- he believed them.

He lived large in the middle of the reality of his less than...and giants fell.

Psalm 138:3 in the Message version says this:

"The moment I called out, you stepped in; you made my life large with strength."

I love that! HE makes my life large. 

Not my trying, not my doing, not my fit pitching, not my fussing, not my creating, not my succeeding, not my attention seeking, not my anything.

My little life turns large when I cry out and turn it over to Him.

Those great bigs in my life are indeed great big.

But God is bigger.

I may indeed be less than, but in Christ I am greater than.
I can slay giants...and so.can.you.

It's time to live large.

Don't give up, mom.
Don't give up, dad.
Don't give up, teacher.
Don't give up, pastor.
Don't give up, student.
Don't give up, senior adult.
Don't give up, business owner.
Don't give up, dreamer.
Don't.give.up.
God is at work in you and for you. 

If you have breath in your lungs, He is not done with you yet, friend.

Grab your slingshot. 

Let's go take down some giants. 

"When I walk into the thick of trouble, keep me alive in the angry turmoil. With one hand strike my foes, With your other hand save me. Finish what you started in me, GOD. Your love is eternal—don’t quit on me now." 

Psalm 138:7-8 The Message

Spread Truth today! Post and Tweet this: 

"In Christ, I can live large in the middle of my less than...and giants WILL fall."-@JuliePMac #SimpleTruth

What giants are you facing? What has you convinced you are less than?
Have you seen this truth in your life? 
Comment below! 
I would love to pray for you and see how your story can encourage others to grab their slingshot!
There is power in community and power in prayer!

(Read more about David's story and God showing up great big in 1 Samuel 17)