Where do I begin? Okay, purchase this book! Yes, that's my first thought here. If I could purchase this book for everyone I know I would. My copy, although highlighted throughout and notes in the margins, will be going to a friend facing one of those nine foot giants.
I have faced some giants in my life. When I picked up this book I have to admit I wasn't thinking I had any giants at the moment. Wrong! When we think of giants we think HUGE right? Well, a giant isn't born at nine feet tall. That right there is huge. At least for me it is. One of my giants, that I thought I had under control, is anger. My husband was hit by a drunk driver on October 12. Let me just say, that's a lot of anger. But I thought I was working through it. Nope. I still have a long way to go. But Louie helped me to see that this giant of mine must fall. In order for me to be free, he's gotta go.
You know what? God's already taken care of my giant. Here in these pages Louie uses a story of searching out, catching, and killing copperheads. This was so right on target for understanding the workings of Satan and our giants. We can't just cut the head off. That head still has poison. That body? Well, it still flings itself about even after it's dead. Oh, there is a way to rid ourselves of giants and Giglio transparently shares with us his own trials, those giants that have made him stop in his tracks. He shares with us how we have giants in our life that we aren't even aware of. Some are addiction, but more so than that they are stumbling blocks, strongholds in our lives, that are holding us back from experiencing all of God.
"We're facing some sort of insurmountable challenge or problem that rips into our lives. Maybe it's fear. Maybe it's an addiction. Maybe it's anger. Maybe it's the feeling of rejection, a feeling that permeates so many areas of life. Maybe it's the sneaky giant of complacency."
"Day after day this giant robs you of your power."
"A habit or a memory or a way of thinking we've grown accustomed to."
"Giants come in all shapes and sizes."
"These giants harm you and rob God of his glory in your life. God wants you to live free. God wants your giants to fall. He wants you to live without the chains that bind you, unfettered from beliefs that limit you."
"It's not much different with our giants-the habits, the behaviors, the faulty beliefs, the same old broken ways we're accommodating in our lives. These "pets' started out as cute and cuddly babies. They didn't look like they'd do us any harm. They were comforting. Reassuring. We formed bonds with these pets, and gave them a warm place to stay in our minds and hearts and behaviors. But these same pets have grown. They're showing their true colors-and they aren't pets anymore. They're savage killers. Nine-foot-tall giants. They're ripping into us, mauling us."
"Your killer was camouflaged as a friend you couldn't live without."
"It's usually not the result of one thing or one moment, but a combination of lots of things that fester over time, rotting us from the inside until we come unhinged."
This book came at the perfect time. It is jam-packed with food for the soul. There is something here for everyone. For the new believer. For the life long Christian. It's for anyone searching to have a relationship with Jesus. It's for the one seeking to walk with journey giant free.
Giglio opens us up to the story of David and Goliath. There is so much to learn in that story. Giglio gives us a new perspective. When reading it we can often relate to David. We think of ourselves as David as he faces off with Goliath. We see the portrait of Jesus throughout this story. Giglio uses scripture to bring Jesus to the forefront of everything.
Louie is transparent in sharing personal stories. He is so amazing to use stories to bring about a lesson that brings us face to face with our Savior. There were a lot of those, "Hey, that's so cool moments." He is as real as you can get. Throughout the book he uses OT and NT scripture, stories of others in the Bible who have overcome. He makes the enemy real. We often try and sugar coat the enemy, Satan. But we can clearly see that Satan is out to destroy us and he will use any measure to do so.
"This has to become personal for each of us. You have to think: I've got to get rid of my giants. I can't settle into complacency. I've got to see that this giant is a problem. This thing isn't helpful-not ultimately. This thing is trouble. This thing slows me down. This thing kills my relationships. This thing hardens my heart. This thing will destroy me. There's a desperation and an urgency I need to tap into here. I've got to get rid of this thing because I don't want it to kill me. I don't want it to zap the life out of me. I don't want it to destroy every good thing in my life, my relationships, my future, my career, my family. I've got to get rid of this thing-and I've got to get rid of it now!"
I love reading fiction. Well, I love reading. When a book like this comes along it's one I dive into with everything. I quickly absorbed this one. It's easy to absorb when it's personal. But will definitely be going back through it to put to good use all those notes in the margins. But if you only had time to read one book over the summer I would share with you to grab this up. You are sure to find your giant in this book and not only find it, but understand what it's doing to you and how to get rid of it. This book opens up our hearts to live out our faith in freedom of fear. We don't have to walk in fear, but let us be fully aware and let's build boundaries around us.
These are just a few, and I mean a few things I have walked away with in reading this book. It's great stuff for young and old alike. This is a book that is so easy to understand and so powerful. If you have never been to church before, if you have never picked up a Bible, never heard the story of David and Goliath, this book is for you. If you are a believer and you want every opportunity to learn on this journey of ours, this book is for you. Giglio is one that I greatly respect. His teaching is Biblical and nothing else. Just pure Jesus. This isn't a self-help kind of book. This is a walk closer to Jesus tool.
Dive in and be ready to be blessedđź“—.
This novel was a gift from Thomas Nelson for sharing my review with you.
Louie Giglio is the pastor of Passion City Church and the founder of the Passion movement, which exists to call a generation to leverage their lives for the fame of Jesus. Since 1997, Passion has gathered collegiate-aged young people in events across the U.S. and around the world. Most recently, Passion 1017 gathered more than 55,000 students in Atlanta's Georgia Dome in one of the largest collegiate gatherings in its history. In addition to the collegiate gatherings of Passion Conferences, Louie and his wife Shelley lead teams at Passion City Church, sixstepsrecords, and the Passion Global Institute. Louis is the author of The Comeback, The Air I Breathe, I Am Not But I Know I Am, and Goliath Must Fall. As a communicator, Louie speaks at events throughout the U.S. and across the globe. He is widely known for messages like "Indescribable" and "How Great Is Our God." An Atlanta native and graduate of Georgia State University, Louie has done postgraduate work at Baylor University and holds a master's degree from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. Louie and Shelley make their home in Atlanta.
