Jesus has done the work of slaying our giants, but we have the responsibility of leaning into that victory today. It’s a both/and situation. Jesus has already accomplished what he is going to do. We’re still in process, so Jesus is processing his victory through us. Yes, Jesus does the real work, and we trust that he does that. And yes, we agree with him. We align our wills with him. That means we follow him. We pray that the giants will fall in Jesus’ name and act as though they already have.
We must always combine “leaning” with “trusting.” Jesus is still working out his finished work in the process of our work. That’s the beauty of a big theological word called sanctification. It’s God working through us what he has already accomplished. It’s God perfecting in us what he’s already perfected for us. So any avenue to change requires our will working in combination with the power of the Holy Spirit. A surfer must paddle in the direction of the wave. The wave does the actual work of taking the surfer back to shore, but the surfer must give himself to the power of the wave and paddle in its direction.
As you paddle along with the wave of God’s Spirit, there might be any number of specific actions you need to take. You might need the help of a professional counselor. Maybe the problem will be best worked out within a trusted group of friends, such as in a community group at your church. Maybe confession and even restitution will play a big role in your giants falling. Maybe it’s you and Jesus and a journal, working this out together. Maybe a physical issue is compounding the problem, and there’s some medication you need to take for a season. There’s nothing wrong with using the full arsenal of tools at your disposal.
I don’t want to offer you a specific formula for success, because I don’t know the specifics of your situation. And I acknowledge that things can and do get worked out in individual lives in different ways as we go forward with Christ. Because that’s who it all comes back to—Jesus. He always does the real sanctifying work in our lives. We go his direction. We trust in Jesus, and we lean his direction.
Thankfully, you’re not left in your own power to lean into the direction of Jesus. He has provided a helper who is to be the fuel for your walk with your Shepherd. Tomorrow, we’ll talk about what role the Holy Spirit plays in guiding your steps.
