Christian Pacifism and Surrender to God

If doubles partners are of different skill levels, the weaker tennis player will let his partner make more returns. If a basketball player has a golden touch, his teammates will feed him the ball allowing him more shots and more chances to drive against the defense.

Your doubles partner is God. Your basketball teammate is God. If you want disaster, be a ball-hog. If you want to try for a close game, play your position. If you want to blow out the competition, let the Lord play for you.

Many people spend a long time playing before they realize that the opponent is much stronger than they are. Like a gambler hustling, the opponent tries to make us confident in our own skill, but he plays for blood. His points are sins and vice. His legacy is festering wounds. His victory is damnation.

Once a person is immeasurably behind on the scorecard, it dawns on some to try to give our teammate and partner a shot at saving the game. It does not take long for the score to change, but we keep having to sideline ourselves. If we wish to win and win big, we have to keep moving out of the way. We have to keep passing the ball. When one has seen the opponent’s gloating and intoxicating joy in having controlled the game for so long, a Christian feels no remorse in running up the score.

So when someone strikes you, do not respond. God will return that strike many times over. When a good deed can be done, let God do it through you. For what is a good dead without the love of God? And if we are going to win, we should win big. Thus surrender to your teammate, Jesus, and do not respond to the attacks of the world. God will run the offense for you.