Don’t let the big one get away.
We’re all heard fantastic fishermen stories. The fish was either bigger than a bedroom or larger than a house. But it got away.
Of course, you wonder if a fish that large even exists. But even if a smaller fish got away, why not make it larger than life?
And pretty soon, we believe our own tale. “It was too large” becomes the excuse why we weren’t successful. What’s real becomes questionable.
“Reality is what we take to be true. What we take to be true is what we believe. What we believe is based upon our perceptions. What we perceive depends upon what we look for. What we look for depends upon what we think. What we think depends upon what we perceive. What we perceive determines what we believe. What we believe determines what we take to be true. What we take to true is our reality.” This quote is written by Gary Zukav, a noted writer and spiritual teacher.
Feel a little dizzy after reading Zukav’s quote?
These words are an impressive rollercoaster ride about reality. The quotation covers quite a few vantage points that determine a person’s perspective about things in life.
Assuming all the traits of reality are equal, let’s eliminate the restated phrases in the quotation. This is what remains. Reality is what we believe. What we look for. What we think. What we perceive. And what we take to be true.
In a nutshell, a person’s reality is the stem cells of beliefs, perceptions, and mental acceptances.
A person can only believe the world as what he or she views as truth. And truth depends on what we believe, have faith in, and look for.
When you’re trying to catch the big one or slay a giant, it doesn’t always demand a Herculean story. But you must know the humbling truth and reality for yourself.
David, the biblical shepherd boy, didn’t tell a fisherman’s story. There wasn’t a need to make it bigger. His larger-than-life story was about a giant. And Goliath, the giant, didn’t get away.
The etymology of the name Goliath is intriguing.
To be honest, I expected the word to mean the very thing that Goliath was—a giant. That’s a reasonable guess, right?
Goliath comes from the word verb “gala” meaning to expose, uncover, or to exile. The enormous warrior, Goliath was indeed exposed. There was no place a person that gigantic could hide.
My first assumption about the word Goliath was reasonable but wrong. My second assumption was no different. The meaning of “gala” didn’t pertain to Goliath’s exposure or uncovering. It was all about uncovering Israel’s weakness.
Goliath, the giant, exposed Israel’s fears.
In as much as Goliath exposed Israel’s fears and weakness, your Goliath will also expose your anxieties and fearfulness.
My college work-study supervisor once said I had three things going for me. He said, “You’re a female. You’re black. And you’re a minority.” According to him, I had a fisherman’s lure and tackle box. I was a shoo-in for getting any job I wanted after college.
The guy was neither black, female, nor a minority. Believe me, when I say, we didn’t share the same reality. He couldn’t phantom my fishing stories and would never seek out my American giant.
In like manner, David and Israel’s soldiers didn’t share the same reality about Goliath, the Philistine enormity.
To David, Goliath defied or challenged God and His promise to the Israelites to fight their battles. David knew Goliath couldn’t win against God.
To the Israelites, Goliath challenged them as soldiers. The soldiers said in their hearts that they couldn’t win. Their reality didn’t include God as a part of their battle plan.
We should be like David, whose reality included God. Like David, we can’t lose with God on his side.
Don’t be like the soldiers, whose reality didn’t extend farther than themselves. And they were paralyzed by fear.
Whatever your goal, ambition, or dream, you can capture it.
Don’t let your big fish or giant get away.
There are no excuses with God.