Water and gravity work together and follow the path of least resistance. Water doesn’t flow uphill, because gravity works – it’s a physical law. Likewise, on this earth, it’s easy and tempting for us to follow the path of least resistance. But something happens when we say Yes to Jesus – when we step over the line and into the Kingdom of God, saying, “I want to be a follower of Jesus and give my heart to Christ, living my life on mission for Him!”
New Christians can run on adrenalin for living – there may be grace there in the beginning to see all our prayers answered – but, at some point, that faucet turns off, and the Lord begins to train us to grow up and get stronger as he allows resistance to come. What seemed easy for the first few weeks then becomes difficult and laborious, as God is trying to grow us up.
“People and nations are forged in the fires of adversity.” – John Adams, 2nd President of the United States.
What if everything that’s going on in our nation right now – the resistance and the struggle with an upside-down world – was not designed to destroy us, but to make us stronger? It all depends on how we relate to it through our perspective – that God is forming us upon his anvil.
Choosing the Path of Most Resistance
Theodore Roosevelt, 32nd President of the United States, delivered his famous “Man in the Arena” speech, officially titled “Citizenship in a Republic”, on April 23, 1910, at the Sorbonne in Paris, France. The occasion was part of Roosevelt’s European tour after leaving the presidency in 1909. The speech at the Sorbonne was a highlight of his visit to the French capital, where an audience of around 25,000 people packed the streets to hear the former U.S. president speak.
The speech touched on topics like citizenship, courage, criticism, and the responsibilities of leaders. The iconic “man in the arena” metaphor that gave the speech its popular name captured Roosevelt’s call for vigorous engagement in the culture rather than timid criticism from the sidelines. This was a sober call to do exactly what we were called to do by Jesus and which was modeled by so many other biblical examples – to engage the culture around us and make a difference.
The Man in the Arena
“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again… but who does actually strive to do the deeds – who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows, in the end, the triumph of high achievement, and who, at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly.” – Theodore Roosevelt.
In social media, there is a proliferation of “keyboard critics” – people who are brave and bold while hiding behind the screen and keyboard – who say things that they would never say to another person’s face. Those who engage – who are in the arena and not just on the sidelines criticizing – they are out there in the fight, in the school board and city council meetings.
The arena of the public forum is designed for us to give feedback to those who have been elected to lead and serve us. It is cowardice to be arm-chair critics instead of actually being in the arena. We speak the Truth because of love. Rome is burning and the bridge is out, and we don’t have the time or luxury to be polite when someone is about to drive off the cliff to their death. Things are not in good shape and we can’t worry about offending them. We have to grow a backbone and begin to speak the Truth because of love.
“I tremble for my country when I reflect that God is just, that His justice cannot sleep forever.” – Thomas Jefferson.
Are we so numb that we don’t believe that God could judge our country for the sins of our nation? The tally is sixty-three million babies who have been killed in the womb. God, in his Word, told Jeremiah, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.” (Jeremiah 1:5). Do we think that our country can slaughter sixty-three million lives and not pay a price? We should tremble for our country and continue to pray for revival and spiritual awakening.
There is good news, though, as twenty-five thousand in Paris gathered in revival recently, and in Hungary and Italy, thousands of people showed up as hundreds were saved, baptized, filled with the Spirit, and delivered. Also, sixty thousand people in Amsterdam gathered to march in the streets praying for their nation. God is moving all over.
Acts 3:1-10 NIV84 Peter Heals the Crippled Beggar
“One day Peter and John were going up to the temple at the time of prayer – at three in the afternoon. Now a man crippled from birth was being carried to the temple gate called Beautiful, where he was put every day to beg from those going into the temple courts. When he saw Peter and John about to enter, he asked them for money. Peter looked straight at him, as did John. Then Peter said, ‘Look at us!’ So the man gave them his attention, expecting to get something from them.
“Then Peter said, ‘Silver or gold I do not have, but what I have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk.’ Taking him by the right hand, he helped him up, and instantly the man’s feet and ankles became strong. He jumped to his feet and began to walk. Then he went with them into the temple courts, walking and jumping, and praising God. When all the people saw him walking and praising God, they recognized him as the same man who used to sit begging at the temple gate called Beautiful, and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him.”
Acts 3:11-16 NIV84 Peter Speaks to the Onlookers
“While the beggar held on to Peter and John, all the people were astonished and came running to them in the place called Solomon’s Colonnade. When Peter saw this, he said to them: ‘Men of Israel, why does this surprise you? Why do you stare at us as if by our own power or godliness we had made this man walk? The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the God of our fathers, has glorified his servant Jesus. You handed him over to be killed, and you disowned him before Pilate, though he had decided to let him go.
“ ‘You disowned the Holy and Righteous One and asked that a murderer be released to you. You killed the author of life, but God raised him from the dead. We are witnesses of this. By faith in the name of Jesus, this man whom you see and know was made strong. It is Jesus’ name and the faith that comes through him that has given this complete healing to him, as you can all see.’ ”
Acts 4:1-4 NIV84 Peter and John Before the Sanhedrin
“The priests and the captain of the temple guard and the Sadducees came up to Peter and John while they were speaking to the people. They were greatly disturbed because the apostles were teaching the people and proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection of the dead. They seized Peter and John, and because it was evening, they put them in jail until the next day. But many who heard the message believed, and the number of men grew to about five thousand.”
The Jewish leaders feared the Roman guard who, always looking for any disruption in their control, ruled the land with an iron fist in order to keep the people quiet – but this was a cultural engagement moment. Remember what happens when we say Yes to Jesus – when we’re on mission for Jesus and we choose the path of most resistance. When resistance comes, we have a choice to make. We can choose to move headlong into it, or we can run away from it to try to get relief. Which way are we going to run? Will we be like Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego who ran into the fire, and stand or are we going to run away and cower?
Acts 4:8-13 NIV84 Peter Schools the Sanhedrin
“Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them: ‘Rulers and elders of the people! If we are being called to account today for an act of kindness shown to a cripple and are asked how he was healed, then know this, you and all the people of Israel: It is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead, that this man stands before you healed. He is the stone you builders rejected, which has become the capstone. Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.’ “
“When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus. But since they could see the man who had been healed standing there with them, there was nothing they could say.”
Acts 4:18-22 NIV84 Civil Disobedience?
“Then they called them in again and commanded them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. But Peter and John replied, ‘Judge for yourselves whether it is right in God’s sight to obey you rather than God. For we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard.’ After further threats they let them go. They could not decide how to punish them, because all the people were praising God for what had happened. For the man who was miraculously healed was over forty years old.”
They stood up against the flow, unafraid of the resistance, and were willing to stand on what God had called them to do and what they had witnessed, and they weren’t going to backtrack on what they had experienced. They weren’t going to deny it and lie to themselves. When they were faced with a decision of whether to take the easy path or the path of most resistance, they said, “We can’t help but talk about what we’ve seen and heard – we can’t un-see it and we’re not going to keep quiet!”
The message is very simple – will we choose the path of most resistance? Will we stand for what is right, true, and just? Will we stand for biblical values, seeing the world through a biblical lens no matter what it costs us or our family? We’re called to engage and to make a difference, speaking the Truth and standing for what is right. We shouldn’t want to stand before God one day and say, “I took the easy path. I chose easy street over disruption and conflict.”
We have a decision to make. Will we take the easy way and run from resistance – or stand up and be counted and say, “No! I’ll go into the fire!” Jesus, who called us into the fight – into the conflict – is the One who gave his very life for us. Will we give our life for him – and live for him …and choose the path of most resistance?
Prayer
Father God, we honor You. We, as a people, believe You’re calling us to step over these lines that are drawn in the sand and to say that we will engage – we won’t shrink back – we won’t quit – we won’t give up or run because we know that people and nations are forged in the fires of adversity. Lord, You’re giving us the opportunity to be forged and formed, by not taking the easy way or just trying to get relief, but by living our lives into the Lordship of Jesus Christ in every area of our lives, and in every part of who we are – submitted to Your Lordship. So we submit ourselves, our hearts, our lives, our fortunes, and our sacred honor – we submit them to You God, even now – in this moment – we choose the path of most resistance. We consecrate ourselves to You …and we will not shrink back – in Jesus’ name. Amen
This is an updated edition of a post originally published on The Bridge
Featured Image by RevDP from Pixabay
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