1 Corinthians 7:25-40; 1 Kings 21; Amos 5

“So the king of Israel answered and said, ‘Tell him, “Let not the one who puts on his armor boast like the one who takes it off.”’” (1 Kings 21:11)

King Ahab was one of the worst kings of Israel. That being said, God still tried to show him who He was. Ahab was willing to make a number of concessions to the king of Syria, but when he refused to do one last thing that Ben-Hadad, the King of Syria, ordered, Ben-Hadad uttered a devastating threat. The quoted verse is Ahab’s response. In my opinion, this may be one of the greatest responses ever when threatened with annihilation. In the end, after defeating Ben-Hadad in battle twice, with God’s help, Ahab didn’t fulfill all that God required and it was the beginning of the end for him.

In an era where “trash-talking” is celebrated, we often miss out on the true champions. It’s not the people who can come up with the wittiest responses to the people they face, it’s the people who get the job done. In ancient armies, if you lost the battle you didn’t get to take your armor off, to put it delicately. Armor came off when the combatant was victorious. As a Cubs fan, one of the players I really like is Jason Heyward. While he hasn’t lived up to the expectations of many in regards to his hitting until this year, he’s been an amazing team leader. He’s famous for giving the last pep talk to the Cubs team in the clubhouse during the rain delay in the seventh game of the first World Series the Cubs won in 108 years. He doesn’t trash talk, he does his job quietly, he’s a team leader, and each day he takes off his uniform after a game, you know that, win or lose, he’s done all in his power to help his team win. As Christians, we shouldn’t brag about our exploits – accomplished or intended; we should quietly do our job of sharing the love and grace of Jesus Christ with others each and every day.

Lord, remind me that anything I seem to accomplish only happens because of Your love and grace. Help me to serve You each day by responding to Your call and living obediently.