1 Kings 22:31
“But the king of Syria commanded his thirty and two captains that had rule over his chariots, saying, Fight neither with small nor great, save only with the king of Israel.”
When the King of Syria chose to fight against Israel, he made a wise move in how he fought the battle.
He told his warriors, “Fight neither with small nor great, save only with the king of Israel.” The King of Syria wasn't interested in trying to fight the whole army at one time; instead, he picked the importance of the battle and chose accordingly. His wise decision to pick his battles and only fight one battle at a time allowed him to obtain victory.
People often fail in many areas of life because they try to fight the whole war at one time instead of fighting one battle at a time. Many parents become frustrated with their children because they are trying to change everything about them at one time instead of fighting one battle at a time. Many pastors have gotten discouraged because they tried to change everything in the church at one time instead of wisely choosing their battles. This principle could be said about making changes in a marriage, building a successful business, overcoming sin, or getting out of debt. Three principles can be learned from the verse above.
First, don't try to fight the whole war at one time because you will lose the fight. Nobody is capable of changing everything at once. When you try to change everything at one time, you are going to turn those who could help you in the future against you. Stop looking for immediate success in everything and learn to pick your battles. You can win the war if you fight one battle at a time.
Second, pick your battle by importance. The King of Syria knew that his biggest battle was with Ahab, so he chose to fight that battle. Every parent would be wise to determine which is the most important battle to fight in helping their children mature physically, mentally, socially and spiritually, and only fight that one battle. The same applies to your marriage; don't change everything at one time, but try to change one thing at a time. When it comes to fighting sin, fight one sin at a time, but choose to fight the one sin that affects the most areas of your life. In any area of life, choose to fight the battle that will make the greatest impact if you win.
Third, don't worry about the other battles, you will fight them in due time. The King of Syria said, “…Fight neither with small nor great…”Don't let the other battles you are going to fight in the future distract you from the battle you are currently fighting. You have the rest of your life to conquer the other battles, but you need to stay focused on the battle you are currently fighting if you are going to win. Many people have spread themselves thin to the extent that they’ve lost every battle because they were trying to fight them all at one time. Friend, you will have a better success rate if you stop worrying about the other battles and fight one battle at a time.
The key to seeing great victories throughout your life in every area of life is to pick your battles wisely and to fight them one at a time. I believe if you will follow this principle of fighting one battle at a time that in the long run you will see greater improvement than if you tried to fight the whole war. Be patient, you have your whole life ahead of you. Pick your battles wisely and fight them one at a time; for wars are won one battle at a time.