1 Kings 19:3
“And when he saw that, he arose, and went for his life, and came to Beersheba, which belongeth to Judah, and left his servant there.”
When you think of great Christians in the Scriptures, Elijah certainly comes to mind. We read the stories of the miracles God performed through him with great delight. These stories motivate us and remind us of the power of God. Certainly, this is what any Christian would want to happen through their life. Yet, Elijah initially lost the greatest battle that he ever fought.
Elijah had a great faith to make it through times of famine, but he initially lost the greatest battle he faced. Elijah’s faith was a great faith. When famine hit the land of Israel, God told him to go to the brook Cherith and be fed by ravens. It is amazing that Elijah had the faith to believe that God would send ravens to feed him. God later told him to go to the widow of Zarephath and let her feed him until the famine was over. He had the faith that God could provide through this widow woman with a handful of meal and a little oil in a cruse. Though his faith was great, when faced with the greatest battle of his life he initially failed.
Elijah had a great power on his life. When he faced the four hundred prophets of Baal he did not flinch. He understood the power that rested inside him came from God. That is why he was not afraid to challenge Ahab and his four hundred prophets of Baal to a contest. Elijah understood that the prophets of Baal did not have the power to call fire from Heaven. All they could do was put on a show, but when it came time for the evening sacrifice, Elijah put on a show so Israel could see Who was the God. After pouring several barrels of water in a trench and on the altar, he called on God to send fire and consume the altar, and the fire fell. He had the power to ask God to send rain, and the rain fell. Elijah had a great power on his life, but he initially failed when he faced the greatest battle of his life.
What was the great battle he faced? It was the battle over self. Notice the words in 1 Kings 19, “he saw,” “for his life,” “requested for himself,” “take away my life,” “for I” and “he looked.” When Elijah came face to face with himself, he failed. He took his eyes off God and placed them on himself and he failed. He made life about himself and not God. He thought everyone was after him, and he forgot Whom he was serving.
Friend, the greatest victory you will win is the victory over yourself. Life is not about you, but your life is a gift from God to serve Him. When you make everything about you, then you will find you will lose the greatest battle. What faith can provide and power can overcome, self will destroy. The greatest battle you will win is when you can crucify the flesh on a daily basis.
Be careful about making everything about you. It is not how others are treating you, but how they are treating God and others. It is not about your legacy; it should be all about Christ. It is not how others perceive you, but what you do to make others see Christ in the right perspective. When you can win the greatest battle in your life, the battle over yourself, then that is when you will see God using your life to influence future generations as Elijah saw when he influenced Elisha. That influence will not happen until you win the battle over self.