SURVIVAL MODE

Over the years I’ve heard people contrast David & Saul in a lot of ways to. One of those ways is to see what each of them did when confronted with threats to their well-being or plans.

Have you ever seen someone who doesn’t know how to swim flailing in the water trying desperately to keep from drowning? That’s a lot like a disciple facing something that appears to threaten what he wants or believes God wants for him & responding based on what he thinks is necessary to keep that idea alive.

When we are in survival mode, it affects how we make decisions (or act). Survival mode makes the continuation of our life as we know it or hope it to be, or our dreams, plans, & desires, etc. the basis for what we do.

I believe that God allows situations like this to arise in our lives. It’s a part of the normal growth process for disciples & spiritual leaders. It reveals what we are made of, & helps us to see if we are living in survival mode.

Going back to David & Saul, there are times when David almost failed the test, but he generally seemed able to avoid doing things out of a survival mentality. But the need to preserve himself seems to have been one of the areas that contributed to Saul’s inability to overcome his impulsiveness & unreliability.

The Lord is working in me at this time to overcome the survival mentality. We are going thru some challenging seasons personally & in our ministry. (By the way, we really appreciate your prayers!) What are some things that can keep us from falling prey to this mentality? 

Here are a few things that I have learned:

·        “Trust & obey, for there’s no other way to be happy in Jesus but to trust & obey.”

·        Be aware of your motives for what you do; the Holy Spirit can clear up a lot of the smoke & mirrors that we create.

·        Don’t make your understanding of God’s will so dogmatic that you’re not open to getting a clearer understanding.

·        Accept that many things are more important than your plans & desires, as noble as they might seem to be.

·        Don’t compromise in areas of Christian ethics & lifestyle that the Bible makes clear, for the sake of what you want.

Remember, in the final analysis, survival is not the goal; faithfulness to God & His plan is!