“David said to Saul, “Let no one lose heart on account of this Philistine; your servant will go and fight him.” (1 Samuel 17:32 NIV)
When you choose the right battle you will win. The problem is choosing the right battle. The battle David is choosing is one he knows he will win. How does David know he will win this battle? Because he has God on his side:
“The Lord who rescued me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will rescue me from the hand of this Philistine.” (1 Samuel 17:37 NIV)
David tended sheep. He protected them from attacks:
“Your servant has been keeping his father’s sheep. When a lion or a bear came and carried off a sheep from the flock, I went after it, struck it and rescued the sheep from its mouth. When it turned on me, I seized it by its hair, struck it and killed it. Your servant has killed both the lion and the bear; this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, because he has defied the armies of the living God.” (1 Samuel 17: 35-36 NIV)
David is still a shepherd when he brings supplies to Saul’s army. He knows his strengths. He knows his weaknesses. He chose this battle because he knew he would win. When we choose the right battles, we win.
When we choose the right battles, we win.
How do you know the right battles to choose? Know your strengths. David knew how to kill a giant. He had killed giants before this day. They weren’t human giants, they were lions and bears. An adult, male lion weighs on average, 480 pounds. An adult male brown bear can weigh up to 1300 pounds. When is the last time you met a human that weighed 1300 pounds? David wasn’t afraid of Goliath, he had already killed many that were more ferocious than him. If you know your strengths, you will know the right battles to choose.
In marriage, I have the opportunity to choose my battles regularly. Oftentimes, I choose not to engage, even if I know I will win. Battles in relationships aren’t about winning or losing. Relationship struggles are about resolution. I may have the strengths to win the battle, but that doesn’t mean I should fight the fight. In relationships, the question isn’t: who can win the fight? The question is: how do we find resolution?
Resolution in a relationship is more important than winning. Resolution requires work. When you decide not to engage in a battle that will harm the relationship, you will have resolution. We choose the right battles because we know our strengths. We find resolution because we know some battles aren’t worth choosing. The decision is yours, do you want victory or do you want resolution?
Question of the Day:
What battle are you deciding about today?
Further Reading: 1 Samuel 17:1-18:4 NIV, John 8:21-30 NIV, Psalm 111:1-10 NIV, Proverbs 15:11 NIV
