Psalm 3:6 I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people, that have set themselves against me round about.
I watched my disciple play an overwhelming game of chess one day. She took off every piece of her opponent’s army, so that nothing was left but the King. The game ended in a draw because she failed to place her opponent in checkmate.
I had taught her mate in two. I had taught her mate in three, four, five, even up to seven. The principles of chess she understood. The swindle, the trap and the poison pawn where all taught and learned well.
She got obsessed with the power game. She loved to humiliate her opponents but failed to learn the lessons of the primary goal, checkmate.
So how does that relate to Christianity?
The primary goal of Christianity is salvation.
Surrounding a person and taking away every option to escape your onslaught does not win them to Christ.
Matthew 28:19 a Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, (ESV)
We can teach them all things but they have to learn for themselves the art of the surrender.
You cannot recognize how checkmate works until you have first surrendered yourself to Christ.
I feel like that is what we’ve done with our mutual friend, removed every option, explained every detail. Yet, he fails to surrender…yet. I feel like what leads to a stalemate, the moving back and forth on the same two or three squares w/ no firm result.
Agree, so we have to be careful not to box him into a corner where nothing moves.
I have been point in the direction that I am OK without knowing all the answers. That is were faith is located.