Yield for the Spirit

Sometimes people think I am a pushover because I don't fight everything that comes along.  I think people often believe that I just give way thoughtlessly, because I don't want to deal with a situation, or I am afraid to take a stand for myself.

But there are many times when I have made a calculated choice to disengage, even if the reasons aren't immediately obvious to those outside my own head.  I learned a long time ago that I can calmly evaluate the total cost of action versus inaction and decide that, on balance, it isn't worth it to act, because my emotional and mental well being are more important than money, or even the principal of the thing.

I think that is what Solomon had in mind when he penned Proverbs 19:11, which says,

"A person's wisdom yields patience; it is to one's glory to overlook an offense."

I don't think Solomon was implying that we should never defend ourselves.  On the contrary, I believe the whole point was that we gain control through wise and measured actions, giving thought not just to the day, but to the years.  If we are patient, if we think through the long term, if we pause for a moment to be sure of what we are doing, the long term result is more likely be something we can live with, because we will have made a decision based on what God wants for our life instead of our whim of the moment.

I have a six rule, and it has stood me in good stead for many years.  I adjust it according to whether it is a large or small problem, using six weeks for the minor events and six months for larger concerns.  If it won't matter to me in six weeks, than I let it go, because it is not worth the mental energy to worry about it.  If it won't matter in six months, then I am not going to fight for it, because it simply is not that life changing.

There are times you must stand and fight for what you believe in, or for what is right.  Larger social issues, moral imperatives, fundamental values - we must face those issues and fulfill our obligations to God and to each other.  But I believe that God wants me to spend my mental and physical energy where it is best served, not over small stuff that won't matter tomorrow.

At the end of each day, I look into the mirror and see the reflection of who I am, at the core of my being.  If I trust God, and believe in myself, I will have the patience to wait for the wisdom of knowing what is best before acting.  The Spirit of God is within me, and he never leads me astray.

Sometimes the strongest thing I do is to wait upon the Lord.  Yielding to his will always brings me to the place I should be in the end.  Courage is not measured in heartbeats but in outcomes. Have the courage to live the life God wants for you.  It is not always easy, but it will bring you home with peace in your soul.