I’ve been in my Bible more lately.

Not in this annoying preachy “new year, new routine” kind of way. Just in a practical way of doing it. Opening it. Reading slower. Taking notes. Writing questions in the margins. Coming back to verses instead of rushing past them.

Psalms will probably always be my favorite. They’re emotional. Honest. Messy.

But a certain passage in 1 John 4:4 stops me every time.

“The Lord is greater than the giants you face.”

I keep thinking about it. Especially on days that feel like too much.

Giants Aren’t Always Obvious

When people talk about giants, it can sound dramatic. Like it has to be something really dark or extreme.

But sometimes the giants I face don’t look like that. They look like fear that creeps in when things are going well. Or certain people in your life who drain you instead of supporting you. They can also look like work stress that follows you home, or old insecurities that never fully leave.

Sure, they’re not monsters in the technical sense. But they’re no less heavy.

And sometimes these things feel bigger than your faith. Bigger than your energy. Bigger than what you have to give that day.

Faith Without the Pressure

I know not everyone believes in God. And that’s okay. I don’t judge that at all. Faith is personal and complicated and people come to it in their own time, or not at all.

For me, this verse isn’t about forcing belief. It’s about grounding.

On days that feel overwhelming, it reminds me that the things stressing me out aren’t the final authority in my life. They feel big. They feel consuming. But they aren’t in charge.

And that perspective helps a lot.

The Verse I Come Back to

For me, integrating this verse isn’t some big spiritual moment. It’s way more practical than that. It looks like catching myself when I’m spiraling and saying, okay, this feels huge, but it’s not running my life. It looks like thinking about it on my drive home after a rough day or replaying it in my head when someone’s words get under my skin. Sometimes I write it down. Sometimes I don’t. Sometimes I barely believe it in the moment and still come back to it anyway.

I’m not using this verse to pretend the giants aren’t there. I’m using it to remind myself they don’t get to call the shots. And on days when everything feels heavy and loud, that reminder is enough to help me keep going.