How Did You Fight?

The Ninth Commandment of God says: "Do not bear false witness." When we think of it, we often think "do not lie." God gave us the command to not bear false witness to those around us, to treat our neighbor as we would treat ourselves. This brings to mind the thought that if we must be warned not to deceive our neighbor, perhaps we are also guilty of deceiving ourselves, and we do, in so many ways. Who is the easiest of all to lie to? Who is the easiest to deceive? Ourselves, we know ourselves so well, our desires and wants. There is no one that we can deceive easier than ourselves.

Life can be difficult and a struggle. For many, the questions of why am I here, what purpose does my life really have, go unanswered. For some the lie might simply be in avoiding the question. For some, it might be to say my purpose is to glorify God, without knowing what that truly means.

In the very beginning of the Bible we see God gave us his purpose and told us how to glorify him. In Genesis 1:28, God called us to his purpose. "God blessed them and said to them, 'Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground.'"

Some call this the Creation Mandate, God's command to us. What would glorify him? Being fruitful and increasing in number. Filling the earth and ruling or overseeing it, under him. Note, he is sovereign and has granted us the right to work under him in this and all activities. That glorifies him, not acting as if we are sovereign and rule in our own might, determining for ourselves what is good and right. Seems that issue came up shortly after creation in Genesis 3 when man decided to operate outside God's authority.

When man decided in Genesis 3 to be AS God rather that to act UNDER God, what happened? Man sinned and the world changed forever. What did God do, did he give up? Not at all as this too was within his plan for mankind. Among other things, our failure was not to be the end. We were to get back up, God would provide a payment for our failure and sin through his very Son's death. We were to get back up and do as he said. We were to be fruitful and increasing in number, filling the earth and ruling or overseeing it, under him.

God calls us to diligence, a very character trait of God. We are to be like him, not quitting and giving up. We are to get back up, recognize our sin and failure, repent of it, turning back to God and walking under him in all that we do, in obedience and submission to his authority in our life.

A man who fails is not a failure. A man who fails and gives up is a failure. Whenever we try to succeed on our own, apart from God, we will fail. The question is whether in it, we will learn, not give up, and continue on in God's power, under him, accomplishing that which he calls us to. Or, whether we simply give up. The lie in our lives comes when we give up and say "what's the use, its just too hard." Here is a verse from a poem that reminds me of this:

"You are beaten to earth? Well, well, what’s that?
Come up with a smiling face.
It’s nothing against you to fall down flat,
But to lie there – that’s disgrace.
The harder you’re thrown, why the higher you bounce;
Be proud of your blackened eye!
It isn’t the fact that you’re licked that counts,
It’s how did you fight – and why?"

See how that verse ends? "It's how did you fight - and why?" That is God's question to us. How did you fight, he says. Was it under me and according to my law and word? And why do you fight the good fight? God asks if we understand our purpose, the great "why" question in our life. Do we understand the Creation Mandate? Do we understand why he put us here? Or do we choose to lie to ourselves and make it all meaninglessness or make it all about ourselves? Unfortunately, I think we all fall down there more often than we know (since we are so good at deceiving ourselves).

The wonderful truth is that God never gave up on you or me. He is diligent in working in our lives. Let's not give up either, let's not lie to ourselves, and let's work diligently at what he put us here for. Let's study his written Word to us, his communication of why we are here, what we are to do and how. Let's be wholly committed to him. I'll leave you with the words God spoke through Moses in Deuteronomy 30:11-20. They are as applicable to us as they were to the nation of Israel, as we too are God's people:

"Now what I am commanding you today is not too difficult for you or beyond your reach. It is not up in heaven, so that you have to ask, “Who will ascend into heaven to get it and proclaim it to us so we may obey it?” Nor is it beyond the sea, so that you have to ask, “Who will cross the sea to get it and proclaim it to us so we may obey it?” No, the word is very near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart so you may obey it. See, I set before you today life and prosperity, death and destruction. For I command you today to love the LORD your God, to walk in his ways, and to keep his commands, decrees and laws; then you will live and increase, and the LORD your God will bless you in the land you are entering to possess. But if your heart turns away and you are not obedient, and if you are drawn away to bow down to other gods and worship them, I declare to you this day that you will certainly be destroyed. You will not live long in the land you are crossing the Jordan to enter and possess. This day I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live and that you may love the LORD your God, listen to his voice, and hold fast to him. For the LORD is your life, and he will give you many years in the land he swore to give to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob."