Know when to fold 'em!

There's a great (well at least good) song by Kenny Rogers called "The Gambler."  In the song he talks about the best way to play a gambling game, like poker.  One of the lines from the song states, "you gotta know when to hold 'em, know when to fold 'em, know when to walk away, and know when to run."  I love that line in particular, actually I'm now stuck singing it in my head.  If you're not familiar with the song, check it out here.

Paul tells us something pretty similar about our conflicts in 2 Timothy 2:23 - Don't have anything to do with foolish and stupid arguments, because you know they produce quarrels.  You see these two thoughts intersect nicely when we realize that Paul isn't telling Christians to be push-overs.  He's not saying to give in no matter what.  He's telling us to know when to hold our ground.  Know the firm foundation upon which you stand and never waiver from it even an inch!  But he's also telling us to know when it's OK to fold, walk, and even run from the disagreement. 

Not all arguments are worth having.  Actually, I wager to guess that most arguments fall nicely into the "foolish and stupid" category that Paul created for us here.  So what's the lesson?  What's the take away for us here?  Simple - Know the difference between a petty disagreement and something worth taking to the mat.  Jesus knew the difference and showed it to us quite clearly.  When Jesus was in the desert with Satan being tempted, he didn't fight or give in, he just stood firm on his ground.  He knew that the battle over Satan's twisting words would come to a head later so he disregarded it.  On the other hand, when Jesus went to the cross it was the culmination of a major disagreement.  This disagreement wasn't petty or foolish - it was real, life-changing, and needed to be dealt with right away.  So Jesus stood his ground and engaged the enemy on our behalf. 

Jesus now calls us to follow him.  We're to follow him in faith and belief, but we're also to strive to follow him in action as well.  Today you're probably going to be faced with a problem, an irritating person, or even a situation that tries to suck you in.  Remember the example of Jesus, the encouragement of Paul and the recommendation of the Kenny Rogers - Know when to hold your words close, know when to give in and back down, know when stand your ground and fight for what you believe, and know when you're just dead wrong. 

Live today as if Jesus were living right beside you. Jesus, we need you to walk with us today.  We get caught up in the struggles of life and the arguments that are petty and foolish.  Help us to stay away from such things.  Give us to the wisdom to know when to engage and when to run.  Keep us mindful of the battle you won for us.  Let us live in the peace of forgiveness today.  In Jesus' name - AMEN.