Tug-of-War

Do you remember when you were a kid and played tug-of-war?  You never wanted to wind up on the team that had to face off against that one REALLY big kid.  If you did end up being on the "they're obviously going to lose" team, you at least tried to get positioned towards the back so that you wouldn't be the first one to be pulled across the line.

The way we see it, there are two key positions when getting involved in a tug-of-war.  The first key position is the very front of the line.  If you wind up there, everyone looks to you when you lose because you crossed the line first.  The second key position is the anchor.  This person is that REALLY big kid that you would put at the very end in hopes that he would not be moved.  Both positions are vital to winning but you can't play both at the same time.

This is where you are; this is where we are in our marriages.  We are striving for the health and success of our marriage against the enemy of our souls.  He is attempting to pull us over the line and cause us to fail in our marriage.  And we (you and I) are the ones that are at the front of this battle.  If we fail everyone looks to us as if we didn't try hard enough or hold up our end of the marriage.  That may be the case but not always.  Either way, we are the ones seen as a failure.

However, we forget to look at the back end of this tug-of-war.  We didn't get picked to be on the team with the REALLY big kid.  We were asked to be on the team of the BIGGEST God.  He is the One holding down the anchor position.  And He DOES NOT MOVE!!!  Trying to make God budge from His position would be like you and I playing tug-of-war with a 150 year oak tree.  It's not gonna move!!

If God Almighty is on our side, who can be against us?  (Romans 8:31)  But we don't let Him be the anchor.  We are fighting with all of our own (puny) might to hold this whole thing together.  When in reality all we have to do is hold on to the rope and let the REALLY big God do the work.  He won't let you fall in or cross that line if you are allowing Him to anchor your position. God is on the side of covenant, and He will not budge.   You might feel as though you are staring down the mouth of failure but just lean back into the anchor.  He's not going to move on you.  And the enemy CANNOT budge Him!

So, hold on.  Don't hold on thinking that YOU are somehow keeping your team from losing.  You're not.  Hold on because God Almighty, the King of Glory, is about to secure the total victory.  And if you are holding the rope with Him, you share in the victory.  You will only lose if you let go and quit.

Josh and Serena