Fight or Flight?

Acts 9:15-16
English Standard Version (ESV)
15 But the Lord said to him, “Go, for he is a chosen instrument of mine to carry my name before the Gentiles and kings and the children of Israel. 16 For I will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name.”


If everything happens for a reason then somebody needs to see it happen. If God knows what we are going to do before we do it, it's not Him that needs to see it. When things happen, somebody needs to know of it to learn from it. Whatever we go through is for us to see so we may learn from it or for someone else to see so they may learn from it.

What if there is one more option? What if, like Job, we go through some things for the enemy to see. What if God allows us to suffer to show the enemy how much we love God or how faithful we can be.

Thinking about God using me as He did Job could change my behavior. Think about it. God is standing there like a proud Dad saying to the enemy,"Watch this. I will show you how much my child loves me." Or what if He is saying, "I will show you that my child no longer works for you. That his/her faith is in me." He told us the story of Job for a reason, probably more than one. Did the enemy leave Job alone from then on? What happened between God and Job?

Praising His name through suffering takes on a whole new meaning. I wouldn't want the enemy to have one second of "I told you so" because of my behavior. At the same time, behavior should come from loving God with "who is watching" in the back of our minds. Honestly, I find myself repeatedly giving the enemy "I told you so moments."

I have a friend who is so amazing. I met her over 15 years ago and she has faced trials over those years, back to back, one right after the other. The thing that most amazes me about her is that she never stops looking up. Even if she is angry, questioning God, or sad, she never stops looking up. Recently she has been struck with another challenge and I am not taking it as well as she. Her courage causes me to be embarrassed by my own thoughts, feelings and behavior. While God is having her face such huge challenges and she is showing much courage, all He is asking me to do at this time is to sit in a room with strangers. I am sick to my stomach with fear. It's like a scene out of a movie. God is saying, "Join these people for one night." The devil is dancing around behind me, "You can't do it. They won't like you. You are uneducated, you know nothing. Who do you think you are? You will fail again and we both know it."

I want to bury my talent and keep it safe. I'm afraid to lose what God has given me. I'm afraid to risk it in order to give Him more in return. I'm at a crossroad. In the last 24 hours the questions I keep hearing are: What will you do with this life God gave you? What will you do with your talents? Will you be able to say, I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith? Or will you crawl back under the bed and pretend you don't hear Him?



"I will suffer with and for Christ. Yesterday, I told a dear friend that I didn't want to suffer anymore. Well, if that is true, then I better just throw in the Christian towel. I must be willing to suffer! Suffering has purpose and more than anything I want people to know this Jesus that I serve." - Kelly