Pick Your Battles
Have you heard the phrase “Pick your battles?” Oh, I have certainly spared myself grief because I stayed silent when giving my opinion could have cost me my peace. And I have also chosen to speak my mind and wished I hadn’t afterwards. It wasn’t worth the battle that ensued.
My dear sis-in-law and I were talking yesterday and she was telling me about mom’s memory slipping (certainly can be expected for a nearly 98-year-old). She said that mom will insist on the way something happened in the past or as recent as yesterday and though Karen knew that’s not how the story went, she chose to not argue with Mom about it. And, that is so brilliant of her because she has learned to “pick the battles” that matter and those that don’t.
Another picture that came to mind was a few years ago when my grandson started to grab the middle cinnamon rolls that are softer and yummier ones. But little sister also wanted them. His mom looked at him and said “Choose wisely!” He took the outside roll, and oh, sweet peace, ensued. It’s what married couples learn over the years — to stand down in a disagreement when “being right” didn’t really matter anyway.
“Pick your battles” simply means there is a time to battle and a time to back down and save the fight for another day…or never. Backing down is not always easy. Sometimes our pride gets in the way. Instead of weighing the pros and cons, we make unwise decisions to prove a point. Proverbs 16:18 says, “a prideful heart always leads to destruction.” What is there to prove if we’ve lost everything in the process?
It is just as courageous to back down for the sake of others as it is to stand and fight. In times like these when so much seems to be more wrong than right, we can surely express our opinions and our trust, AND we can stand down when it comes to hatefulness and bitterness to the opposition. We can take victory laps when we let the cat have our bed, so to speak. We can encourage ourselves often, even in the little things – the little wins — and do our best to rise above our wants, our needs, our desires and choose to follow the example of Jesus when He walked away from conflict time and again. There were times when He made His point (i.e., driving out the moneychangers at the temple), but He was resolute in being a peacemaker and waymaker – which made for such better press than war-maker and stone-thrower. The tighter and closer we are to Jesus in principle and action – the more victory laps we’ll take because we chose our battles wisely!
Philippians 2:14-16 “Do everything without grumbling or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation. Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky as you hold firmly to the word of life. And then I will be able to boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor in vain.”