CHOOSING YOUR BATTLES WISELY

 1 Timothy 1:18-19

Timothy, my son, I give you this instruction in keeping with the prophecies once made about you, so that by following them you may fight the good fight, holding on to faith and a good conscience. Some have rejected these and so have shipwrecked their faith.

                When I was in seminary, we were told that we will face many challenges in the ministry. Because we all have limited abilities and limited opportunities, we have to learn to wisely choose our battles. We all have to answer the question, what am I willing to go to the wall for?

                As Christians in America, we have not always chosen our battles well. This is blatantly true right now. We foolishly fight over wearing masks instead of actively caring for the well-being of our communities. We have aligned ourselves with political parties and politicians instead of aligning ourselves with Christ. We have chosen to play the role of morality police instead of extending the love and grace of Jesus to those around us. These and many other battles have diminished our spiritual influence in our society. When we choose to fight the wrong battles, the consequences are less than ideal.

                When Paul wrote to his protégé Timothy to instruct him in the ministry, he told him to fight the good fight of the faith.  Paul didn’t leave Timothy to figure out what that was. He gave him careful instructions on how to fight the good fight. We can learn some lessons from Paul’s instructions to Timothy.

                One of the first lessons Paul gave Timothy was to pay more attention to how he lived out his faith than how others did. The old saying, those who live in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones, is very true. Christians in Paul’s day were under severe scrutiny. People were watching to see how this new faith played out in real life. The same is true today. Christians have been placed under a microscope, and every flaw is being exposed. Before we can say anything to the society around us, we need to take a radical look at ourselves. Does my life reflect the good news of the Gospel? Does my life reflect the life of Christ within me?

                Paul gave Timothy some specific guidelines to follow that could transform his influence in the world.

1 Timothy 4:12-16

Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity. Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to preaching and to teaching. Do not neglect your gift, which was given you through a prophetic message when the body of elders laid their hands on you.

Be diligent in these matters; give yourself wholly to them, so that everyone may see your progress. Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers.

                Paul called Timothy to be an example by the way he lived his life. Our lives and our words have to match. If they do not, our words will fall on deaf ears. The way we live our daily lives matters. They way we treat the people around us matters. The first battle we need to fight, and the most important, is the battle within ourselves. As Paul said in 1 Corinthians 9:26-27, Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air. No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.

                The second important lesson Paul wants to teach us is to not get caught up in less important issues. In an issues-oriented culture like ours, it is easy to allow the current cause or issue to dominate our lives. When we jump on the band wagon, we lose our focus on what is most important. It is not that some of these causes not valid, but that they siphon off energy and resources that would be better used elsewhere. Paul warned Timothy to not let the sway of culture control his life.

2 Timothy 4:1-5

In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I give you this charge: Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage--with great patience and careful instruction. For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths. But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry.

                 Too often today we are guided by popular opinion and dominated those who make the most noise. If we are going to make a difference in our world, we need to maintain our focus on what is ultimately important. As Paul says, we need to keep our heads. Stay focused.

                The third lesson that Paul wants to instill in our hearts is that we need to fight with the right weapons.

2 Corinthians 10:3-4

For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds.

                 When we choose to fight with the weapons of the world, we lose in the end. The weapons of power and politics are the weapons of the world, not of Christ. When we look to them to gain what we want, we lose the power of Christ to accomplish His purposes. Instead, we need to use the weapons of God’s grace. When we respond to the world around us with God’s grace, we can disarm them; we can take them by surprise by not responding the way they expect.

Romans 12:14-21

Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited.

Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God's wrath, for it is written: "It is mine to avenge; I will repay," says the Lord. On the contrary:

"If your enemy is hungry, feed him;

if he is thirsty, give him something to drink.

In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head."

Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

                 We have not done a very good job of living this out in recent times. We have chosen the combative path rather than the compassionate path. In the end, we have lost our influence. It is time that we lay down the weapons of the world and pick up the weapons of the Gospel. We need to choose our battles wisely.  It is not wrong for us as citizens to be involved in the political process, but that is not our primary mission. It is not wrong for us to be concerned about social issues, but solving society’s problems is not our ultimate goal. Our ultimate goal is to be salt and light for Jesus, calling people out of the darkness into the grace and love of God.

1 Timothy 6:12

Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses.