The Battle for what's most important

No soldier in active service entangles himself in the affairs of everyday life, so that he may please the one who enlisted him as a soldier. 2 Timothy 2:4 NASB

How does this picture translate in our day?

The parents were exhausted, running on fumes.

"Our 9 year old plays football on a team with other 9 year olds. In the weeks leading up to the season they practiced 2 hours a day Monday through Saturday. Now they practice three nights a week plus a game on the weekend. After practice it is homework for at least a couple hours, which requires one of us to basically do their work. BTW, I really resent having to do the homework. We seem to be going through the motions in our marriage and everything else. Help!?!"

Time is our most valuable commodity. And is it any wonder the enemy of our souls would bring "good things" and "the American dream" to entangle us?

Jesus addressed this in his Parable of the Sower. "The seed cast in the weeds represents the ones who hear the kingdom news but are overwhelmed with worries about all the things they have to do and all the things they want to get. The stress strangles what they heard, and nothing comes of it." Mark 4:18-19 MSG

Do you ever feel strangled or choked out by activity? Is your relationship with Jesus just kind of "there" but never in focus?

First of all, we need to continually lay everything before God in prayer asking for wisdom.

Secondly, we can ruthlessly evaluate our calendar and cut out things that keep us from health and wholeness. One family I know put a moratorium on kid's sports for a year and instead planned a weekly family fun night. Another family decided to serve the poor together once a week and then go out for dinner together. One couple told their kids that they were going to work on their marriage and start having a date night but that meant the kids could only be involved in one activity outside of school. Another couple established three family nights a week at home in which nothing would be planned.

Finally, don't be surprised there is a price to pay. It is much easier to "do what everyone else is doing" versus suffering the backlash of "Oh my gosh, your 9 year old isn't playing on the team this year? What kind of freak are you?"

It is a challenge to find ways to facilitate friendships while saying "no" to some activities. It isn't easy to sit down with your spouse and kids to discuss the best and healthiest plan for an upcoming season. Praying together about it can also be hard.

I'm not saying to avoid all sports activities. Nor am I saying to stay at home and do nothing.

I'm saying let's raise our kids to make hard decisions because they've watched us do it. Let's teach them to sacrifice the good for the best. Let's train them to understand you don't always get what you want and you have to deal with it. Welcome to the real world.

Let's raise them to know marriage is something we protect, prioritize and build for life. Let's teach them to reevaluate everything in the light of what is most important. When they hear the words of Jesus they'll have a reference point because they've watched us "seek first the kingdom of God" and heard us reframe our lives with that as our goal.

Running on fumes? Entangled? You've been enlisted by Jesus, the One who was more "in demand" than anyone else. He understands. If you seek to please Him, He will guide and refresh you!

The Battle Within p. 2

"the LORD has sought out a man after his own heart" 1 Samuel 13:14

God made this statement to Saul. It was in the context of Saul losing the battle within. And it was in reference to David being that man who wanted to please God more than anything else.

The similarities between these men in their circumstances were profound.

• Picked by God
• Anointed by the prophet
• Instructed by the prophet
• Given tremendous favor
• Hated by some
• Victorious in battle
• Miserably failed

So what was different about them?

David had an extraordinary respect for authority. When he could have vindicated himself he refused. He entrusted himself to God when being attacked and waiting.

On the other hand, Saul rejected counsel and he couldn't trust or wait.

When David sinned he responded by crying out for mercy and accepting God's discipline. Saul instead rationalized and covered his sin.

When David sinned we got Psalm 51:10-12

Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.

When Saul sinned we got 1 Samuel 15:12

“Saul has gone to Carmel. There he has set up a monument in his own honor."

It seems the battle within is won by a humble heart that seeks to please God. That heart is formed by yielding to God's training over a long period of time.

David was trained in the fields watching sheep, by being the least of his brothers. His inclination to turn everything into worship was was formed in those same fields.

He learned to fight in those fields, killing the lion and the bear. Little did he know the lions and bears he would face in the future (and neither do we).

And David wasn't perfect, which shows you can come back from huge mistakes. God didn't give David what he deserved but instead showed him mercy.

We can take courage in the battle by reflecting on David's example and asking for the same heart. And we realize the school of hard knocks is God's training program.

The battle within...

The stories of King Saul and King David are told in 1 and 2 Samuel. Two likeable guys. Two gifted guys. Both with great opportunities. Both made serious mistakes but one was accepted and one was rejected.

No, God didn’t accept either one because they were good people. So why did God accept David and reject Saul? Why did King Saul ultimately lose the fight? Why did David win?

Saul was marked by pride. Here he is in the middle of battle, enemies pressing in, the people freaking out, God had given strict orders to wait on the prophet to offer sacrifices before fighting.

It was the waiting that surfaced his unbelief. God allowed it to go way past 11:59. Saul took matters into his own hands, thinking the end justified the means. He thought being king meant he could do stuff reserved for the prophet. Wouldn’t you know it, right when he offered the sacrifice the prophet Samuel shows up -- oops!

Another time Saul is told to utterly destroy everything under the ban, people and animals. Instead he thinks he’ll show more compassion than God and spare the best of the sheep, oxen and the opposing King. It is never good to think you are more compassionate than God, let alone to try and show it.

We all have a bit of King Saul in us. For sure we are tempted in the same ways though the context is a bit different.

We take matters into our own hands when waiting gets uncomfortable. We may not be offering sacrifices, but we might use the force of our personality to “hurry things up.” We might do something stupid because we feel ripped off. Just a few weeks ago I heard about a “Christian” businessman who went to jail for defrauding investors. It is amazing how easily the human mind can justify terrible things when the heat gets turned up.

Sometimes people in our lives are about to get to the end of the rope and turn around, but we are there to rescue. God knows real change can’t happen until they hit bottom. But we’re there to “help” and keep them from facing the music. They start to feel pain and we can’t take it. We pridefully think we’ll show compassion where God isn’t.

So studying the life of Saul can bring insights to the battle we are engaged in. We can justify and rationalize. We can live in many forms of denial.

Or we can allow Jesus to “bring to death” our own “Saulish” tendencies by confessing them and humbling ourselves.

Next post we’ll look at King David.

Fighting the good fight

"The relationship had deteriorated, I had followed the Bible's instruction in Matthew 5 and gone directly to him. But he couldn't let go of the offense. As I prayed I was reminded to be quiet and entrust it to the Lord. So I've been silent and not sharing the junk with anyone else."

I was pretty blown away as you don't hear something like that very often, wow!

The pathway of victory is humility and trust and this guy was on it!

In this spiritual battle we fight in three arenas: our own stuff, the world and the devil.

Re: our own stuff we are called to honesty, sorting things out directly with people in humility (Matthew 5 & 18, Ephesians 4). That may be the greatest struggle for some - having the courage to go directly and to be honest (in humility).

Then we are called to let go- to pray, cast our cares on Him, forgive and trust.

Both avenues go against the grain of our inclination. Both are vital to spiritual growth. Both require grace. Both reveal our spiritual maturity.

How is this part of the spiritual battle we are engaged in? We open the door to evil influence when we wage war as the enemy does.

God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble.