Pick Your Battles

Better still, let God pick your battles.

2 Timothy 2:4, 24-26: No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier. 24 And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient, 25 In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth; 26 And that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will.

I have wasted way too much of my time and energy fighting the wrong battles. I have fought for what I wanted rather than what God wanted. I have been hung up on temporary problems, rather than eternal ones. I have fought for things that did not change my past, my present or my future. I have fretted about the past instead of pursuing right goals. I have fought for creature comforts instead of spiritual blessings. I have fought for vanity rather than substance. I have fought for other people*s goals rather than God*s. I have fought battles that were already lost. I have fought many battles that were not worth fighting.

When things went wrong for a wise friend of mine, he said It won*t make a bit of difference a hundred years from now. When my father spoke about past problems he said this: No difference now. He did not even want to waste a complete sentence on the unchangeable past.

Luke 9:62: And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.

1 Corinthians 9:26: I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air:

Philippians 3:13-14: Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, 14 I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

The best way to pick our battles is to pick the battles that the Lord is fighting. If we pick battles the Lord is not fighting, we are probably going to lose. We are at least wasting time. If we fight the battles the Lord fights we are guaranteed victory.

2 Chronicle 20:15: And he said, Hearken ye, all Judah, and ye inhabitants of Jerusalem, and thou king Jehoshaphat, Thus saith the LORD unto you, Be not afraid nor dismayed by reason of this great multitude; for the battle is not yours, but God*s.

Jude 1:3: Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.

Are you contending for the faith?

Ephesians 6:12: For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

Are you fighting spiritual battles or are you only fighting against flesh and blood?

Matthew 16:18: And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

Are you fighting to help Jesus build a local church and His universal church?

Care to discuss Pick Your Battles with Ron?

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