Confronting the Giant of Trauma: Healing in Christ

A new year invites honest inventory. Many long for a year better than the last, yet keep tripping over the same hidden giant: trauma. Scripture frames the struggle. Like Goliath, trauma taunts, belittles, and seeks to enslave. David faced his giant “in the name of the Lord,” and the Psalms, Paul’s letters, and the stories of Peter, Thomas, Martha, and Elijah show that God’s people have always wrestled with wounds that shake the soul. Trauma is not merely a bad day; it is any person, event, or circumstance that overwhelms the nervous system and our ability to cope. It leaves people feeling unsafe, helpless, and “not the same.” Left untreated, it does not vanish; it hides, waits, and resurfaces.

The impact is multi-layered. Trauma pushes people offline relationally, making connection difficult and avoidance normal. It pushes people offline spiritually, distorting how they see God and themselves, and robbing them of God’s best. It pushes people offline neurologically: the amygdala screams danger, the prefrontal cortex (clear thinking) goes dim, and the hippocampus (memory) fragments. Often the unseen wounds hurt more than the visible ones.

Hope begins when the giant is faced. Four movements mark the path. First, process it—name the pain, stop stuffing it, and face it before God, like David standing before Goliath. Second, pursue help from others—tell the story, gather healthy people, seek counsel; healing is not a solo project. Third, make a personal investment—write your story, take prayer walks, establish boundaries, and practice thanksgiving; it is a privilege for people to have access to you, not an entitlement. Fourth, press into God—running from God delays healing, but Jesus came to heal the brokenhearted and free the captive. Draw near in prayer, worship, service, and the Word; God’s redemption plan includes healing trauma.

As healing takes root, purpose emerges. Those who have been delivered see what others miss, become deeply compassionate, and carry a credible hope that invites others out of their prisons. This is not denial or a quick fix; it is a faithful, steady walk into freedom with the One who says, “Come to me… and you will find rest for your souls.” In that rest, a new year can become truly new.

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Key Takeaways

• 1. Face the giant with God Processing begins when the pain is named and brought into the light. Avoidance feeds the giant; courage starves it. Like David, enter the battle “in the name of the Lord,” not in self-reliance. Facing it is the doorway to freedom. [49:30]
• 2. Trauma reshapes sight and story Unfaced wounds distort how we see God, ourselves, and our future. The giant seeks to destroy confidence, relationships, and faith, leaving life small and constrained. Naming this agenda helps resist the lies that follow pain. [37:32]
• 3. Healing requires honest community Trauma thrives in isolation and loosens its grip in shared, safe spaces. Tell the truth, seek wise counsel, and allow healthy people to carry some of the weight. God often uses community as the scaffolding of recovery. [51:18]
• 4. Your brain needs time to re-regulate The amygdala’s alarm, a dimmed prefrontal cortex, and fragmented memory explain why clarity is hard after shock. Don’t rush big decisions; build rhythms that calm and re-center. Compassion for yourself is not weakness; it is wisdom. [46:50]
• 5. Press into God’s redemptive care Running from God delays healing; drawing near invites it. The Messiah heals the brokenhearted and liberates captives—this is part of the gospel, not an add-on. Prayer, worship, and the Word are not chores; they are conduits of restoration. [54:54]

Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [06:22] - Why Scripture Matters—January Wednesdays
• [07:00] - Opening Prayer for the New Year
• [20:45] - Naming Loneliness, Discouragement, Darkness
• [30:25] - Series Launch: Facing Our Giants
• [31:58] - David and Goliath as Pattern
• [39:57] - What Is Trauma, Really?
• [43:29] - Three Types: Acute, Chronic, Complex
• [46:50] - Trauma’s Impact on Brain and Body
• [49:30] - Step 1: Process It—Face the Giant
• [51:18] - Step 2: Pursue Help from Others
• [53:24] - Step 3: Personal Investment and Boundaries
• [54:54] - Step 4: Press into God’s Healing
• [56:51] - Purpose Forged from Overcoming Trauma
• [60:06] - Come to Jesus and Find Rest

Bible reading

- 1 Samuel 17:44-45

- 2 Corinthians 1:8-10

We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers and sisters, about the troubles we experienced in the province of Asia. We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired of life itself. Indeed, we felt we had received the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead. He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us again. On him we have set our hope that he will continue to deliver us.

- Isaiah 61:1-2

The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn,

Observation questions

1. In 1 Samuel 17:44-45, what stands out about how Goliath talks and how David answers? What is David relying on that Goliath is not?
2. In 2 Corinthians 1:8-10, list what Paul says about his situation in Asia and what he learned about trusting God. How many times does Paul mention God’s delivering work?
3. In Isaiah 61:1-2, which parts of the Messiah’s mission speak directly to people who feel broken, trapped, or weighed down?
4. Trauma left untreated hides and resurfaces later. What everyday strategies were named that do not heal trauma (for example, stuffing or denying)? [42:05]

Interpretation questions

1. If David moved toward Goliath “in the name of the Lord,” what is the difference between self-reliant courage and God-reliant courage today? [32:15]
2. Paul says he was burdened “beyond our strength” so that he would not trust in himself but in “God who raises the dead” (2 Corinthians 1:8-10). How can resurrection hope reshape a person’s sense of helplessness after a traumatic blow?
3. Isaiah 61 says the Messiah heals the brokenhearted and frees captives. How should that shape expectations for prayer, care, and ministry when someone feels stuck in avoidance or isolation? [55:38]
4. The brain often responds to shock with the amygdala alarming, the prefrontal cortex dimming, and memory fragmenting. How should this understanding guide the pace of decisions and the practice of self-compassion after trauma? [46:50]

Application questions

1. Face the giant: What pain needs to be named before God this month? If you wrote one sentence about how your “giant” has been taunting you, what would it say? [49:30]
2. Pursue help from others: Who are two safe people you can invite into your story? What is one concrete step you will take this week (call, coffee, counseling)? [51:18]
3. Personal investment and boundaries: Where do you need a new boundary to protect your peace? How will you communicate it kindly and clearly? Remember, it is a privilege for people to have access to you. [53:47]
4. Press into God: Which practice will you lean into for 15 minutes a day this week—prayer, worship, serving, or time in the Word—and what specifically will you do? [54:54]
5. Give your brain time: What big decision are you tempted to rush? What calming rhythms (walks, slow breathing, Scripture reading, sleep routine) will help you slow down and regain clarity? [46:50]
6. Honest community: Where have you been isolating? What group, team, or friendship could be the “scaffolding” around your healing in this season, and how will you reach out? [58:34]
7. Come to Jesus for rest: What would it look like, in your real schedule, to come to Jesus and find “rest for your soul” this week? What one obstacle makes this hard, and how will you address it? [01:00:06]