Bjcorbin's Blog

There is undeniable wisdom in the concept of picking one’s battles, but I would submit that the criterion one uses to make those decisions is a critical factor.  Human nature will most often drive us to pick only the fights that we think we can win; but for the Christian, a larger perspective needs to be accounted for.  Beyond the questions of whether I want to fight this battle or am I equipped for this battle or can I win this battle, the Believer must first resolve, “Is this a battle that I’m called to fight?”

Left to our own devices, we will generally choose to do battle in the arenas where we feel the strongest.  I would suggest that this is what Peter was attempting to do when he vowed to prevent Jesus’ crucifixion (Matt. 16:22).  Despite the Lord’s stern admonishment of that plan (Matt. 16-23), Peter still gave into his compulsion to grab a sword in the garden of Gethsemane; though clearly that wasn’t a situation he’d been called to resolve.  Unfortunately, just minutes before, he’d lost what appeared to be a far more manageable battle, in which he had been called to “watch and pray” with Jesus.  Minutes later, he’d succumb in yet another seemingly innocuous confrontation, which ultimately led to him denying the Lord three times.

Like Peter, it seems that we’re often called to battles that we don’t really want to fight and get drawn into others that don’t really belong to us.  I would submit that God rarely calls us to battle in the place where we feel strong, because He’s not interested in cultivating confidence in our own strength and ability.  Most often, He calls us to battle in the place of our weakness, so that His strength can be revealed in and through us.  In fact, it is generally the recognition that we can’t do it on our own, that causes us to tap into His divine power and authority.  Ultimately, this understanding needs to be considered every time we encounter a potential battle, if we ever hope to see the Lord truly glorified in us.