temptation

A while back, I wrote about how I needed to turn my life around and start actually fighting for God. Well a week or so later, I read Exodus 14:14 - "The Lord will fight for you; you need only be still," which made me question the wisdom of my previous conclusions...

I have since made some very big mistakes and given in to temptations that I should not have. I probably should have done exactly what Joseph did when propositioned by Potiphar's wife - run away as fast as I can, leaving whatever I had with me far behind. I didn't do this however, and ended up somewhere I did not want to be. But when I think about Joseph's successful evasion of temptation, I'm reminded that he STILL ended up in jail for a long time! He did the righteous thing and still might have spent a lot of time questioning whether or not he did what was best! Eventually, he was exalted to a place of obvious blessings, but he didn't escape some really harsh times.

So all of these thoughts leave me questioning what metaphor I should follow as I seek spiritual renewal. Should I fight injustice and ungodly ways, stay still and have God fight for me, or flee from the dangers that pursue me? Is it possible to do a combination of all three? Or is there something even more important that I'm missing because I'm so focused on my own failings that I cannot see God's glory? Man, I can't wait until I'm old and I've finally gotten some of that wisdom crap they keep talking about...