It takes hard work to overcome challenges in our lives. It seems the harder the challenge the harder the work has to be. Think back to the most recent obstacle you have faced and how you managed to prevail against it. Didn’t that victory taste sweet? We all face challenges in our lives and the men in the Addiction Recovery Program are no different. Their immediate challenge is overcoming their addiction and reaching the goal of sobriety. Sometimes these men see this goal as unobtainable. They feel it is an angry giant standing in their way.

Recently, I was leading a morning devotional with the men (as I usually do) and we were discussing 1 Samuel 17. This chapter contains the very familiar story of David fighting Goliath. Goliath was a giant of a man and was the champion of the Philistine army. Day after day he taunted the army of Israel to send a worthy person out to fight him. David goes out to meet him for battle confident that the Lord will deliver Goliath to him.

Now, as a pastor and someone who has led Bible studies and devotionals for years, I have read and discussed this story multiple times. The theme of trusting in the Lord to help you overcome the challenges in your life is not lost on me. However, the morning I was preparing my discussion on the actual altercation between David and Goliath, something leapt from the text that I had not deeply considered before. In verse 48, where Goliath advances toward David, it reads “…that David hastened, and ran toward the army to meet the Philistine.” (1 Sam 17:48 KJV). David hastened. David ran out to meet this giant. David was determined to face this challenge head on.

I realized at that moment that these men in the Addiction Recovery Program need that same determination and zeal to meet their challenge head on. However, addiction is not a creature you can see or touch. It isn’t a monster you can kill with a stone. They needed something to represent their addiction. They needed a physical challenge to face.

Let me introduce you to Union Mission’s Goliath…

Mission Hollow, our campus on South Park Road, is actually a very large hollow with hundreds of acres of wooded mountains. Union Mission owns about 200 of those acres. Within the last year, a gas company who captures methane from the city landfill asked to purchase a gas line easement down one of our mountain faces so they could get the gas into their production lines. The resulting easement made for a very long and very steep path up the side of the mountain. At the base of the mountain, behind our Brookside Campus, is a small clearing. In that clearing we have placed
outdoor exercise equipment and weights. Three days a week, for a total of six weeks, I worked out with the men in that clearing. Lifting weights, carrying heavy blocks around, and building cardio fitness all for the purpose of “conquering Goliath” at the end of the six weeks. This meant that together, as a team, the men and I had to summit the face of Goliath and make it all the way to the top of the mountain in a single effort.

Throughout the six weeks of training, I noticed the men becoming more and more eager to take this on. The first week, I had to wait for them out
in the parking lot as they meandered their way out to the bus. The second week, they were all in the parking lot waiting for me when I arrived.
Several weeks in, I knew we had struck a nerve with the men when I heard one of them say, “You know, I have never finished anything in my life. I always seemed to give up. I can’t wait to finish this.” Several of the men nodded in agreement.

Last month, on August 20th, the six weeks of training culminated in the effort to take on Goliath. The excessive rains had made that day even more of a challenge. As the five of us huddled together for some last words of encouragement and a moment of prayer, I looked at each of them and told them how proud I was of the effort they put forth this summer.

At the top of the mountain, with all five 0f us panting and doubled over in pain, I noticed that the sweat on the faces of the men may have been  mingled with some tears. That may have been the case with my face as well. With high fives and hugs, we celebrated accomplishing what we had set out to do six weeks ago. We conquered Goliath. I hope and I pray that this victory stays in the minds of these men as they continue on their recovery journey. I pray they can look back and remember what it was like to finish something that was hard and painful and they can still taste the sweetness of that victory.