What happens to you when you see no easy way out?
You can avoid the issue. You can aggressively react to the problem. You can campaign for support from others without getting to the root. As we look back at our lives, we have patterns in how we respond to stressful situations.
I recently read 1 Samuel 27 in the life of David. Many of us grew up wanting to emulate him. He slays the giant Goliath. God calls him a man after his own heart. He becomes King over Israel.
My friend teaches ancient literature at a public college. I sat in a class when the students discussed the life of David. These students with no hero attachment of David brought out the darkness of his life. When you read 1 Samuel, we see ourselves in David – a human being with mixed motivation.
1 Samuel 27 offers an odd account of David aligning with his enemies the Philistines. He says this to begin the chapter:
But David thought to himself, “One of these days I will be destroyed by the hand of Saul. The best thing I can do is to escape to the land of the Philistines. Then Saul will give up searching for me anywhere in Israel, and I will slip out of his hand.”
David sees no way out. You can empathize with the emotions. He has run from Saul and has felt the constant attack on him for doing nothing wrong.
Yet, as you read this chapter, you notice no mention of God. In the Old Testament, you feel the darkness of God’s absence. The characters have gone their own way. David has succumb to his own patterns. I wonder the difference between David’s story if he did not experience 1 Samuel 27 aligning with the enemy.
No prayer asking for God’s guidance. No waiting for Him to speak. No faith to take a courageous step to resolution. Choosing our own way means acting with our motivations unchecked.
The Gospel, the Good News of Jesus’ Death and Resurrection, frees us from going our own way. Like David, we come to situations with no easy way out. Jesus in His grace invites on a different path. Rather than reacting, He invites us to examine our hearts and motives. We respond with a clear picture of the Gospel in our lives with faith.
Consider the stressful situations in your life, where you see no easy way out. What would change if you saw your motives and reactions through the Gospel? How might that affect the people around you? How might you see your situation differently?
Photo by Patrick Schneider