You are far more likely to face mental giants than a physical Goliath. But mental giants can be just as big and intimidating. And they can keep you from becoming who God wants you to be and fulfilling the dream that God has put in your heart.

The first giant in facing your dream is delay. No dream is fulfilled instantly. God gives you the dream one day, but he doesn’t fulfill it the next day. It may be years before you see the fulfillment of your life dream. There is always a waiting period.

After the prophet Samuel anointed David as king, David’s father, Jesse, told David to get back to tending the sheep. Talk about a delayed dream! It was about 15 years before David actually became king.

But God used that time to build David’s character, teaching him to be obedient even when things didn’t seem to make sense. As David waited for God to fulfill his promise, he learned to trust in God’s sovereignty. The lesson is that God is faithful, and he will complete his work in you in his time.

The second giant you may face is discouragement. Goliath created a climate of fear in Israel. Everyone was convinced they were going to lose the battle against him.

What people are you listening to that say it can’t be done? Who is putting down your dream, saying it won’t ever happen?

Sometimes you just need a fresh voice, like a shepherd boy with fresh eyes who says, “This guy’s nothing. We can take him down.”

The third giant standing in your way is disapproval. In David’s case, his own brother questioned his motives and disapproved of him going after Goliath.

When God gives you a dream that other people are afraid of and you go for it anyway, you will be misjudged, maligned, and misunderstood. You have to decide what matters more to you: the approval of other people or the approval of God.

The fourth giant you may have to face is doubt.

Nobody was a greater expert on war than King Saul. He told David he was crazy for thinking a boy could fight a warrior like Goliath.

Maybe an expert is saying you can’t do it either. And that’s enough to make you start doubting yourself.

Remember, experts are often wrong! You won’t be deterred by the naysayers when you focus on God’s promises and trust the Lord is faithful to fulfill your dream.