Wednesday, December 15: Whose battle is it?

Have you ever had a business associate or competitor who seemed to thrive while exhibiting a complete lack of integrity and presence of pride? It can be a huge challenge to not get caught up in the desire to sink to their level. If they spread vicious lies about you, do you decide that “quid pro quo” is the way to go, exposing them? Jesus handled it in a different way when the false accusations came upon Him.

He was oppressed and He was afflicted,
Yet He opened not His mouth;
He was led as a lamb to the slaughter,
And as a sheep before its shearers is silent,
So He opened not His mouth.
Isaiah 53:7


When we are walking with the Lord, anything that happens in our lives He has allowed for a purpose. Rather than moaning or complaining, God wants us to bring every issue to Him. We love to question God, but those answers are not the important part of the puzzle as He already has told us that we shall walk by faith, not by sight (2 Corinthians 5:7). “Why, God?” Alfred Lord Tennyson said, “Ours is not to reason why; ours is just to do and die.” Tennyson had it mostly right. With God, we do not have to reason why, but ours is to do and to live! We do not have to defend ourselves because God will defend us. He is the Way, the Truth and the Life (John 14:6)! There is no path any of us rather would be on than His. When lies darken our days, His Truth will endure forever, and God always has the last word! In Him, we have abundant life, and it cannot be more abundant that what He already has planned for us. It ends with a gift greater than winning the largest lottery in the history of the world, our eternal salvation!


When the giant Goliath seemed to be a huge thorn in the flesh of Israel, God handled the situation in His perfect timing (1 Samuel 17). Goliath was filled with pride. At his size, he never had been defeated. He laughed at the boy who came to confront him and laughed at the handful of five pebbles in the hand of David. He laughed at the sling in David’s hand, taunting all the way. David righteously believed in the power of God, rather than in the power of man, and knew that without the Lord’s hand, he, too, was destined for failure. Goliath’s prideful taunting ended immediately when the first of David’s small rocks made a deep impression upon the giant’s skull, instantly killing him. Rather than sink to Goliath’s level, bragging of his own accomplishments and power, David relied on the Lord. When God wants to make an impression, He does it with ease and perfection!


I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, 2 with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, 3 endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
Ephesians 1:1


Paul reminds us in the verse above to walk worthy of God’s calling. “Worthy” is the Greek word axios, which referred to the scales used in the Greek marketplace. In that economy based on weight, a vendor would place the item for sale on one side of the scale and the currency on the other side of the scale. When in balance, the trade was a good one. God desires for us to be in balance, as well. Our walk with Him should be the same on a Sunday at church and in our business dealings during the week. Instead of lying, cheating and stealing to get ahead, God desires for us to act with His moral standards in all situations. If an enemy spreads vicious lies that cause pain, God will defend His honor, for when we have been purchased with His blood, that honor is no longer ours!

“Character” has been described as who you are when no one is looking. We either have character or we are one! As Christians, we have a higher calling to serve a God who loves us. Do not get caught up in the ways of the world, battling for more possessions, accomplishments and trophies. God will bring all of your successes and all or your failures, both for His purposes! Never lose sight of the fact that God can change the most hateful people with His salvation, just as He changed each of us!


Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord. 20 Therefore
“If your enemy is hungry, feed him;
If he is thirsty, give him a drink;
For in so doing you will heap coals of fire on his head.”
21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
Romans 12:19-21