Have you ever just wanted to quit? Have you ever felt like you and maybe one other person were fighting for something good and everyone else just bailed on you? It is easy to feel alone in a battle and sometimes we are. I think it is in these moments that reveal our character. My senior year high school I wanted to quit football. I was not being treated fairly or kindly. I had coaches and players who made it clear they did not want me there. All that was in me wanted to quit. I would come home with tears in my eyes so frustrated. When I was a kid, my parents would tell me “Sereg’s do not quit!” So I resolved in my heart early, if I start something I will finish it. The decision of not quitting my senior year was made years before when I decided to stay on the team. The depth of my character was built as a kid and revealed as a senior. One of the coolest scriptures in my opinion is…
2 Samuel 23:9 Next in rank among the Three was Eleazar son of Dodai, a descendant of Ahoah. Once Eleazar and David stood together against the Philistines when the entire Israelite army had fled. 10 He killed Philistines until his hand was too tired to lift his sword, and the Lord gave him a great victory that day. The rest of the army did not return until it was time to collect the plunder!
Can you imagine being Eleazar? Your fellow army retreats but your king stays to fight. You have a choice… run and live or fight with your king. Eleazar made his a long time before the heat of the battle. He would never allow his king to fight alone. So he chose what had to feel like death. Statistics and odds are only valid unless the God of your king is THE GOD. Then two men can take on an army all alone. Could you imagine fighting until you were too tired to pick up your sword? Quit was not in this man or his king.
What about you? Where do you want to quit? Job, school, relationship, a dream, or yourself? It could be any number of things. But anything worth having always comes with a battle and at times it can feel we fight alone. Often we feel tired of fighting. That is not the moment that builds character but will reveal it. You decide now before the heat is on whether you quit or keep going. You decide your level of too tired. You decide whether you will fight with someone even when it hurts.
NO BATTLE… NO VICTORY…
The army did eventually show back up when it was all over to get all the reward. Could you imagine David and Eleazar watching the deserted army show back up for the reward? Could you imagine Jesus watching us receive our reward? So decide today… Now… What is the depth of your character the depth of your fight?
Recklessly, Obsessively following Jesus
Brandon Sereg
