You are More! What Exactly Does that Mean?

Years ago, our oldest son was experiencing some learning difficulties in high school. My wife, oldest son, and I went to meet with a specialist a friend had recommended to us. We all took some sort of test individually so the specialist could see where each of us stood on certain issues. Afterward, she discussed the test results with us.

She started by saying that my oldest son and my wife were seeing things pretty much the same way which was good. Then she looked at me and said, “Well Ed, you just see life differently, don’t you?” Ouch. I’m not sure what that meant but there was smirking from the peanut gallery (my wife and son) about her statement.

The specialist did a great job of diagnosing some physiological issues that our son had since he was a baby. His therapy was some simple coordination exercises. He took off like a rocket. He went from getting C’s in his classes to the honor roll his last two years in high school. Those simple exercises released and unleashed the ‘giant’ inside of him to move to the outside of him. That appointment changed his life. He saw himself differently.

I like the concept of unleashing the giant inside of us. My wife would say that concept is something I would like too. I have always been a potential person. As a pastor and leader, I see the potential in people before they ever see it. I tend to see where people can be or could be.

Sometimes my insight is problematic because it can blind me to where people currently are. Sometimes people don’t want to be where they could be. They are comfortable or uncomfortable where they are, and want to remain there. You can’t rescue the damsel if she loves her distress.

The way I'm using 'giant' here is a concept. It's being all that you can be. It’s potential. It's not living a life of underachieving, becoming co-dependent, or something like that. It's you, being you, with God all over you. There’s a 'giant' God put in you, but you need to see it, in order to be it.

Licensed counselor, Craig Lounsbrough, enlightens us on seeing yourself differently.

“You are more! And that means what exactly? It means that it is highly likely and quite probable that however you look at yourself, you are more than whatever you are seeing. Whether that’s because you actually don’t see everything that you are, or you’re in denial of who it is that you really are, or it’s simply too risky to believe that maybe you’re more than you’ve come to believe yourself to be. Whatever the case, you are more!”

Maybe unleashing the giant within us starts with us seeing things differently. Mark Twain said, "It's not just the size of the dog in the fight; it's the size of the fight in the dog." Van Crouch says, "Winners are 'ex-losers' who just got mad."

Bill Johnson says that our dreams are not independent of God but exist because of God. Zig Ziglar said, "A person is no greater than his or her dreams, ideas, hopes, and plans. A person dreams of the dream and then dreams of fulfilling it. It's the dream that makes the person." Dreams bring hope, hope brings faith, faith brings trust, and trust taps into God, who probably gave us that dream in the first place.

There was a shepherd boy in the Bible named David. He was the youngest son and the least likely candidate for a new king for God's people. But just like you and me, God put a “giant” inside of him. But David needed to access and appropriate that giant. The same is true for us.

God gave his prophet Samuel some advice in choosing the next king from David's other fancy older brothers. "Do not look at his appearance or the size of his stature, because I have not chosen him; for God sees not as a man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but God looks at the heart."

You know the story. There was a defiant giant that was scaring God's other warriors to death. His name was Goliath. He was taunting and intimidating. His reputation preceded him. The “giant” of fear inside of those warriors was overcoming the 'giant' God put inside of those warriors.  While the other warriors saw obstacles, David saw the opportunity and seized the opportunity. He had killed a lion and a bear while tending sheep. David knew that smaller victories turn into bigger victories if you don't get arrogant.

When David saw Goliath's bantering, he wasn't intimidated at all. "Who is this man that he should taunt the armies of the living God?" He relied on God's giant inside of him. He grabbed a slingshot and five stones, and the rest is history. To David, Goliath was so big he couldn't miss him. Though David's stature was small, the giant inside of him was bigger and more powerful than the Goliath outside of him.

Here’s the takeaway: Have patience with yourself: You are not who and where you once were, and you are not who and where you will be. Your obstacle is not a barrier, it’s a bridge. Remember, the bigger they are, the harder they fall.