His Cross Our HopeExemplo

There’s an old saying. “Pick your battles.” Our world is full of them. Sometimes, we get distracted by the wrong ones. The temporary ones. They might be legitimate, but are we coming at them with God’s plan in mind?

It can be hardest to choose the “right fight” when our loved ones are involved. Several years ago, our daughter was targeted by a “mean girl” at school. The jabs were subtle, but they were very real. As a teacher, it was difficult not to address the girl with unkindness. After all, she was hurting my child.

But, had I spoken out of anger, I would have wounded a young woman who was a child herself. We talked in our home about praying for her. What personal pain made her want to hurt others? What did God desire for her life? It was difficult, but we focused on something higher than the moment. We focused on eternity.

When Jesus appeared before Pilate in John 18: 28-37, His focus was squarely on eternity. In verse 36, He makes it clear that His Kingdom is not of this world. It transcends Rome’s concerns about a governmental overthrow and wages a much larger battle. Jesus fought for our eternal souls … for His Kingdom that will never end.

Contrast that with the religious leaders in verse 28. They wouldn’t enter Pilate’s house because they wanted to remain ceremonially clean for Passover. They had their focus on the “right now.” On their religion. On their power. Eternity stood in front of them and they chose instead to fight for the moment and themselves.

To them, it looked right to defend their religion. To stand up for the status quo. But in doing so, they missed the basis of everything they were fighting standing in front of them, bearing the weight of their accusations.

They fought the wrong battle.

As we walk through our days, we need to constantly reset our focus. Yes, we have many battles to fight, from the small ones like the person who cuts us off in traffic to the huge ones like the ongoing fight for justice and equality. I pray that, in each one, we choose not what is temporary but what is eternal. That we look at each battle through the eyes of what God is trying to accomplish and not what would simply fix things “right now.” We might be surprised by what the mission of that moment truly is.

~Jodie Bailey

Novelist and co-host of the Faith Over Fear podcast