God Wins All Wrestling Matches

Gail Purath is amazing. She proves great posts can be short and powerful. I discovered her at 1-Minute Bible Love Notes and I love her heart. I asked her to share a story about her trip to Prague and a lesson God taught her there; it’s something to help us all “upgrade” our obedience.

“I disobeyed the law,” Purath wrote. “What else could I do?”

She continues…

I needed money for supper, the official banks were closed, and black-market money was available.

It was 1980 and I was touring Communist Czechoslovakia with some girlfriends. The gray sadness of Communism couldn't hide the beauty of the ancient city of Prague. Perhaps that's why I forgot to exchange money before the banks closed.

There I was with only $2 worth of Czech Korunas, not enough for supper.

I asked our tour guide what I could do, and she told me she would sell me black-market money. Must have been a sign, right? I convinced myself it was the only option and gave her $20 to exchange. I admit it was nice to get twice as much as the bank exchange.

But then the wrestling match began... the one between me and God. It went on all afternoon... me telling Him I had no choice... Him telling me that the bank law didn't violate His Law, so I needed to obey it (Romans 13:1-6).

I knew what I had to do. I returned the money to our tour guide, felt relieved, and wondered how I would pay for supper.

God doesn't promise to work things out when we forget to get to the bank on time, but he blessed me that evening. A friend who knew nothing about my situation surprised me by buying my supper, and my $2 worth of Korunas was a perfect tip for the waiter.

But I did something else illegal on that trip and God approved.

At that point in history, it was illegal to import and distribute Christian literature in Czechoslovakia, but I brought in New Testaments, prayed over them, and left them in places for Czech citizens to find.

How do I know God approved?

In 1 Peter 2:13-17, Peter commands Christians to submit to every human authority, and this command came at a time when the government was just as corrupt as Communism.  But Peter was also God's spokesman for an "exception clause." When the official authorities of the Sanhedrin commanded him to quite preaching about Christ, Peter said, “We must obey God rather than human beings!” (Acts 5:27-32).

God expects us to obey laws even when they are inconvenient and unwise, but not when they violate His higher laws. We can disagree, but we need to remember that God wins all wrestling matches.

How will you respond when God asks you to obey the law or something tough He asks of you  today?

Gail Purath has been married to her best friend for 42 years, living the life of a nomad here on earth (40 homes in 62 years), looking forward to her heavenly home. Mother of two, grammy of seven, she writes about her joys, struggles, failures and victories in her 1-Minute Bible Love Notes and shares a short Bible study each week on Bite Size Bible Study.

Our Part: 'Responding'

Although the Christian’s life is transformed by the Word of God and the power of the Holy Spirit—and we never want to forget that—there are plenty of commands in the scriptures that show our part in responding to the scriptures and Spirit of God.

Here are some things we can do that God can use to UPGRADE our lives spiritually ... but they are also the catalysts to change in many areas of life:

1. Realize Our Need for God. Not only do we need Him for our salvation, we need Him to become holy, effective servants in His kingdom. UPGRADING isn’t about self-effort; it’s about God’s effort in us. Christ will strengthen us (Philippians 4:13), and God is faithful to help us (1 Corinthians 10:13), but we need to respond to Him—yield to Him (Romans 6:1-19) and not try to change independent of Him.

2. Renew Our Mind (Romans 12:2). We do this as we read, study and memorize the Bible. Not only will we discover more about the God who loves us, we will find ways to overcome temptation, find freedom from habits and addictions, and become a success - by God’s definition (Deuteronomy 6:6-9; Joshua 1:8; Proverbs 3:5-7; 2 Timothy 3:16-17; Ephesians 6:17; Hebrews 4:12).

3. Respond to the Scriptures. We decide to obey. (I have a "Yes, Lord" reminder card in my Bible.) We create a plan to upgrade our lives based on the scriptures. Devise to do good, not evil (Proverbs 14:22). We are to be steadfast (1 Corinthians 15:58) and obedient (James 1:22-25). We can ask God how to become His disciple with “steadfast purpose” (James 1:5; Luke 14:26-33; Acts 11:23).

4. Repent as God leads. Repentance is changing our mind about sin with determination to stop sinning and live for God (Acts 8:22). God does not want His children to cover up sins and weaknesses. He doesn’t want us to excuse ourselves or blame others. We need true sorrow over sin (2 Corinthians 7:10). God has provided all we need to repent and change. Put off sinful habits and put on new ones (Ephesians 4:22-32).

5. Reach out to others in the Body of Christ. We are in one body, unified in Christ, to encourage and help each other obey, serve and worship God. When we struggle, we can share our need and pray for each other (James 5:16; Galatians 6:2). We attend church to learn more about God, but also to be encouraged and encourage others toward “love and good works” (Hebrews 10:24-25).

6. Rely on God for the Changes We Need. This is God-confidence. The Spirit of will empower us to live for the Lord. If we commit to Him, He will accomplish His will in and through us (Psalm 37:5; 2 Corinthians 9:8). We can pray for His help (1 Thessalonians 5:17; 1 Peter 5:7; Philippians 4:6-7), especially when tempted (Matthew 26:36-46). It’s wise to be patient for change (Galatians 6:9; 2 Peter 3:18), and live the Christian life one day at a time (Matthew 6:33-34), giving ourselves grace—because God gives us grace!

Which of these areas of ‘Responding’ is the hardest for you?

Dawn Wilson is the founder of Heart Choices Ministries and creator of UpgradeWithDawn.com. Dawn's ministry encourages, edifies and energizes women with the truth of scripture so they can better enjoy life, bless others and honor God.