Battle Plan for Life
This week, I taught the third through fifth grade Sunday school class. Usually, I teach three and four-year-olds, but in the months when I’m not in the rotation, I sub whenever and wherever I’m needed. I enjoy teaching because I get to learn more about the Word as well.
I started with, “Who has seen VeggieTales, Josh and the Big Wall?” (I was surprised that at least one person hasn’t). Even though there is a lot of silliness, like throwing grape slushies and building a Wallminator, the point of the story remains intact. When we follow God’s directions, we win.
Joshua 6 recounts the biblical story of the Israelites’ conquest of the city of Jericho. The narrative describes how Joshua, the leader of the Israelites, followed divine instructions to march around the city walls once a day for six days with the Ark of the Covenant. On the seventh day, after seven rounds, the walls miraculously collapsed, allowing the Israelites to seize the city. This event is often seen as a demonstration of God’s power and fulfillment of His promise to give the land of Canaan to the Israelites. Yet the lessons of this event are so much bigger than that!
God always keeps His word. He does what He says He will do, when and how He says He will do it. The marching and shouting didn’t create a big enough vibration to destroy the city. Because the people obeyed, God gave them the victory. Obedience also led to salvation for Rahab and her family – not only did God save her family from destruction, but she also became part of the lineage of Christ!
Obstacles are no match for God! When we lived in Germany, one of the first words we learned was Umleitung – which is German for Detour. There were two ways to get to our new home. For the first several months, one of them contained a giant hole in the road. We had to find the Umleitung and learn how to get around the obstacle. This is extra challenging when you do not know the language!
One of the families we met at church happened to live in the town with the whole in the road. The mom was a German national who married a soldier. She would often speak both German and English to her boys, and Dietrich was often included in that mix. Another word she taught me is Schlachtplan. Which means Battle Plan. In everything we do, we must have a battle plan, whether it’s keeping up with schoolwork, eating healthy foods, or practicing for our activities (ballet, archery, gymnastics). This is true whether you go to a school building or school in your home. Your obstacles may be different, but you still have the responsibility to plan for the day.
A simple battle plan includes THREE important details.
- Know who you serve! Psalm 24:10
- Wear your battle gear! Ephesians 6:10-18
- WE WIN! Colossians 2:15
Remember, in any circumstance, the obstacles do not define you. Seek God throughout the day. Only God can tell you who you are. His opinion of you is the only one that matters.
Download your own Battle Plan worksheet.