Fight or Flight?

"Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever." -1 Corinthians 9:24-25

My mother, sister, and I are almost completely convinced that we would be utterly useless in a true life or death crisis. Having never been in one we cannot say for sure, but there is an abundance of evidence that proves this theory. Whenever we are scared (usually by one another or another family member and usually on purpose), we do one of three things: (A) we scream loud enough to scare people who were not scared to begin with, (B) we literally drop to the floor, (C ) we do both (A) and (B). Hilarious does not begin to describe what it is to the "scare-er", but the "scare-ee" rarely joins in the laughter and immediately begins plotting revenge. (By the way, I ask that you use this illustration as an amusing part of the lesson to follow and not license to use it against us. I assure you that we do always fight back…once we get off the floor that is.)

Most of us have heard of the "fight or flight" response, which describes the one of two ways our bodies respond to stress. We either face it head-on or flee from it like a rabbit scampering from a hunter…or in some of our cases like a possum playing dead. While entertaining to think about it in the context of my family's pranks, God recently revealed some aspects of my spiritual "fight or flight" response to me that were not funny at all.

As I took a walk through our neighborhood, I was praying about why I seem to remain stuck in certain stress patterns concerning various parts of my life. I try (key word being "try") to alternate bursts of running with walking when I exercise, and after running a bit (key words being "a bit"), I felt Him whisper to my heart, "It's because you run. When you get scared, you run." Confessing the truth, I took issue with that statement. Unwisely attempting a "fight" response, I prayed, "But, Lord, I do this…But, Lord, I do that…How can you say that I run???" After refuting His words and God showing me that I was wrong, I threw out the excuse I knew to be true but not enough to excuse it all: "But, God, sometimes it's just too hard!"

Then, right there on my country road, He revealed something brilliant to my heart that I cannot forget: "What could be harder than the way you feel right now? It may be hard to fight, but you have Me in your corner, and we will be victorious in the end. Choosing to give up and run away will only ensure that the difficulty of despair, hopelessness, and defeat you speak of will continue."

We get so frightened at the prospect of a fight that we forget to be even more scared of laying down, giving up the fight, and ceding victory to the enemy. May we all choose to put on our spiritual boxing gloves and experience some victory in Jesus today.

Prayer
Dear Lord, thank You for the words You spoke to me. Please speak them to the heart of every child of Yours reading this post today. Show us the victory You promise, and help us to claim it. Help us to face life and all its stresses standing boldly in Your power rather than cowering in our own. We love you, God, and thank You for victory in Jesus. In His name we pray, Amen!