Fight the Biggest battle - the battle of you

​Do you know who is easy for me to confront?

You.

You of a different religion. You of a different political party. You of a different color or culture or country. It's easy for me to confront any part of you that I think would be better off being a lot more like me.

Why is it easier? Because when I take on those battles, I'll usually find a small army of people ready to take on those battles with me. And every confrontation loves an army.

Do you know who is hard for me to confront?

Me.

Why is that harder? Because that is a lonely battle. It's me against the army of voices inside attacking me with a challenge to be more like God.

The more time I can spend attacking my enemies, the more I can avoid the internal attack challenging me to love them.

The more time I can spend smacking someone's cheek, the more I can avoid the internal attack challenging me to turn mine.

The more time I can spend fighting against bitterness in the world, the more I can avoid the internal attack challenging me to see and feel my own.

The more time I can spend in the battles of this world, the more I can avoid the battle that wages within me.

It's so much easier to fight battles insisting on changes I have little control over than it is to take on the battle I'm absolutely in control of. The battle with me.

In Matthew 11:18-20, Jesus says, "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."

I think Jesus is challenging us here. I think Jesus is saying, before we ever take on the battles of this world, we need to make sure our hearts and our souls are aligned with his. I think Jesus is saying when you're out there fighting battles for the sake of fighting battles, that is exhausting. Jesus is telling us I fought to love the world, not change it.

Come learn from me, he says. Come find rest in your battles.

We all have battles going on inside. But I think Jesus is telling us you're not alone in fighting them. He's telling us he'll gladly serve as our army.