Have We Gotten Soft? Think David, Leonidas and YOU!

Maybe it was just where my thoughts went during my prayer time today or maybe it was the fact that I was working a commercial for our upcoming men's group using a scene from the movie 300 about Sparta but I'm thinking we're getting soft.

Here's how my prayer went, "...help us to work through things, instead of working around them."

It occurred to me that in our lives we often look for work-arounds.  You know, another way of doing something that isn't quite avoiding but certainly not a direct attack.  If you are into technology you may look for all kinds of work-arounds for your computer, iPhone, iPad or nook.  I have a nook and wanted to get some apps on it that were not available from Barnes and Noble and found a way to "root" the nook so I could add them.  there are financial work-arounds (ask Bernie Ma doff) and parents often look for discipline work-arounds.  This is actually a huge problem.  Parents who want to have a child and want to see that child grow up to be a good citizen or even a Christian but can't stomach the discipline it takes to discipline.  So they work-around the issue instead of tackling it directly.  We are a nation in love with getting around an obstacle instead of finding a way through it.

Consider a relationship, work or school, in your life and how often you deal directly with a problem or challenge when it arises.  Or do you "sit it out" and "wait for it to blow over."  Do you argue about something and then just not bring it up again until it comes up again?

If you're like most people I know (including myself) you enjoy the work-arounds.

I wonder what would have happened if young David would have sought a work-around?  Instead of frontal assault in the Name and power of God Almighty what would have happened if he walked instead of ran?  What if he tried to sneak up on Goliath instead being in plain view?  And given Clint Eastwood's speech at the RNC last night, what if Dirty Harry would have said, "Let me think about this for a minute..." instead of, "Go ahead.  Make my day."  Would it have had the same impact?

Perhaps we've just gotten soft.  We don't want the fight so we walk away from the battle.  Even if it means we are going to have to face it again tomorrow, or next week or next month.

I think I'm going to try the Leonidas approach and see how that goes.  When there is a problem, no matter how big or insurmountable it may be don't first look for away around it, determine to push right through it.  This will require strength and stamina (they ARE different) and a courage little seen in this day and age. But we might rid ourselves of many a recurring headache if we dealt with our problems and challenges head on instead of always looking for a back door.

Just sayin'.