Choose Your Battles – Lessons from the Pyrrhic Victory

40,000 Greeks and 40,000 Romans stand apart. With swords in hand, they are ready to fight. The Greeks had their leader, King Pyrrhus. He had archers, the cavalry, and war elephants. He was determined. Even after days of fierce combat he was not sure who would win. At last the Greeks were able to win the battle. But at what cost? The army was beaten down, and now they were far from home. A friend congratulated the King on a victory in which King Pyrrhus responded saying, “One more such victory and I am lost.”

King Pyrrhus never did conquer Rome like he sought out to accomplish. He lost many men in the process. It shows how we must choose our battles wisely. When arguing with a co-worker or friend ask yourself, “is it worth it?” If you lose your friendship over an insignificant debate, will you be satisfied in the end? Or will it be like the Pyrrhic victory which ended in more loss than gain. In the end, some battles are just not worth the fight. So choose wisely.

A wise leader doesn’t fight in every battle. There are unproductive fights and then there are noble fights. God’s most prized possession, Jesus, was given to purchase us from the slavery of sin. This was a noble fight. It was a battle that was extremely brutal but very worth it.

Meditate on this, many Kings send out their mightiest warriors to fight in great battles. Yet God didn’t send an army, a battalion, or a squad of troops. He sent Jesus, one man, to fight in the greatest battle of all. It was the battle for your salvation. He conquered, He finished, and He sat down. He won a battle worth fighting for, and it was all for you.