Session 22

Choose your battles wisely

From 2 Samuel: A 5-Week Devotional

Have you ever heard the phrase, “Choose your battles wisely”? 

Maybe your mom told you this when you asked advice about how to handle a tricky situation at work. Maybe it’s what older married couples said the first time you thought your spouse took a disagreement too far. Maybe it’s what you tell yourself when you’re ready to lose it in Target because your kids are singing the same song for the hundredth time. 

“Choose your battles wisely” simply means there is a time to fight and a time to back down and save the fight for another day. 

This is the dilemma David faced when his own son, Absalom, conspired to attack Jerusalem. David could have stayed in Jerusalem, armed his soldiers, and fought back against Absalom. But he didn’t. Instead, David ordered everyone to flee the city. He knew that if they stayed Absalom would have overtaken and brought ruin to the entire city (2 Samuel 15:14). 

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.

Just as David wisely counted the cost associated with standing and fighting, we must do the same. It is just as courageous to back down for the sake of others as it is to stand and fight.

Reflect: 

• Is there a battle you are currently fighting and need to back down from? 
• Does pride play a role in your decision making? If so, what can you do this week to make decisions rooted in wisdom and not pride?