"The angel of the Lord appeared to him and said to him, 'The Lord is with you, O valiant warrior.'" -Judges 6.12
Once again Israel has done what is evil in the sight of God, and God has allowed them to be oppressed, this time by Midian. Israel cries out to God and God prepares to deliver them once again. This time God's chosen champion is a young man named Gideon.
When God shows up to talk to Gideon he is hiding in the wine press, beating wheat, in order to hide the grain from the Midianites. He is the youngest member of the family, that is least in the tribe of Manasseh. But when God comes to him, He doesn't give him the identity that Gideon gives himself, or that others have probably given him. God comes to him and identifies him as a valiant warrior. This is how God sees him, and this is his true identity.
Men, how do you see yourself? Are you the youngest? The weakest? The one always chosen last? Are you hiding away doing a task so that your work isn't taken from you? God doesn't see you as inferior, as useless, or as a coward. God sees you as the valiant warrior He created you to be. God sees you as bold and courageous. God sees you as brave and heroic. God sees you as worthy and excellent. God sees you as He created you to be.
The question becomes what do you do with the title God has offered to you? Do you stay hidden away working on your task simply hoping to survive? Or do you grab hold of the identity God offers to you and begin living it? God created you to be a valiant warrior, and that is how He sees you. That is what you have it in you to be. What do you choose to do with that?
Let us be men who see ourselves through God's eyes. Let us claim the title He gives us and make it our identity. Let us be valiant warriors.
"Iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another."
To God alone be the Glory!
Strength and Honor
Showing posts with label Warrior. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Warrior. Show all posts
Monday, February 16, 2015
Friday, June 6, 2014
Never Too Old, Never Insignificant
"So it came about when Moses held his hand up, that Israel prevailed, and when he let his hand down, Amalek prevailed. But Moses’ hands were heavy. Then they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat on it; and Aaron and Hur supported his hands, one on one side and one on the other. Thus his hands were steady until the sun set. So Joshua overwhelmed Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword." -Exodus 17.11-13
Moses, while too old for hand to hand combat on the battlefield, is still a warrior and still plays a crucial role in the battle. He is up on a hill overlooking the fight, and as he holds up his hands Israel wins, but when they grow tired and heavy, they fall and Amalek wins. The only chance Israel has is for Moses' arms to stay up, but physically he can't do that. Fortunately, Moses isn't alone. Aaron and Hur are with him, they bring a stone for him to sit on, and then the two of them hold up Moses' arms. Since his arms stay up, Joshua defeats Amalek and the battle is won.
Without Moses, the battle would have been lost, and without Aaron and Hur, Moses would have been lost. There is no role in the battle that is insignificant, and every man is always a warrior. Moses, Aaron, and Hur fought the battle in a way that they were able to, but they still fought. They weren't too old, and their role was essential.
Men, you are never to old to fight. As we've seen, the way that we fight must change over time, but we are made in the image of a warrior God, and we are warriors until the end. We are never too old to engage in battle with evil.
The roles that we play may not seem too important. Age eventually catches up with us, and we can't do the things we used to be able to any more. I think back to the workouts I used to do in high school and college, and part of me can't believe it, and I'm only 27. But just because our time on the front lines comes to an end, it doesn't mean we sink into obscurity.
Maybe we take on the role of mentor and encourager. We find younger men, young warriors, and hold our hands high for them as the fight. Maybe we find a behind the scenes way of supporting others, and we hold up the hands of someone else. And maybe we're still young enough to take the fight right to the enemy, let's make sure our swords are sharp and our shields are ready so that we can be chosen for the task. Each role is significant and essential for victory.
You are never too old. You are never insignificant.
"Iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another."
To God alone be the Glory!
Strength and Honor
Moses, while too old for hand to hand combat on the battlefield, is still a warrior and still plays a crucial role in the battle. He is up on a hill overlooking the fight, and as he holds up his hands Israel wins, but when they grow tired and heavy, they fall and Amalek wins. The only chance Israel has is for Moses' arms to stay up, but physically he can't do that. Fortunately, Moses isn't alone. Aaron and Hur are with him, they bring a stone for him to sit on, and then the two of them hold up Moses' arms. Since his arms stay up, Joshua defeats Amalek and the battle is won.
Without Moses, the battle would have been lost, and without Aaron and Hur, Moses would have been lost. There is no role in the battle that is insignificant, and every man is always a warrior. Moses, Aaron, and Hur fought the battle in a way that they were able to, but they still fought. They weren't too old, and their role was essential.
Men, you are never to old to fight. As we've seen, the way that we fight must change over time, but we are made in the image of a warrior God, and we are warriors until the end. We are never too old to engage in battle with evil.
The roles that we play may not seem too important. Age eventually catches up with us, and we can't do the things we used to be able to any more. I think back to the workouts I used to do in high school and college, and part of me can't believe it, and I'm only 27. But just because our time on the front lines comes to an end, it doesn't mean we sink into obscurity.
Maybe we take on the role of mentor and encourager. We find younger men, young warriors, and hold our hands high for them as the fight. Maybe we find a behind the scenes way of supporting others, and we hold up the hands of someone else. And maybe we're still young enough to take the fight right to the enemy, let's make sure our swords are sharp and our shields are ready so that we can be chosen for the task. Each role is significant and essential for victory.
You are never too old. You are never insignificant.
"Iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another."
To God alone be the Glory!
Strength and Honor
Saturday, May 31, 2014
Warrior God, Warrior Man
"The Lord is a warrior; the Lord is His name." -Exodus 15.3
The song of praise continues and they declare who God is. The Lord is a warrior. God fought the battle that they could not fight. He won the war that they had no hope of attaining victory in. God is a warrior, and if we look back at Genesis 1.27, "God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them." Man is made in the image of a warrior God, and if God is a warrior, so is man.
Men, we are warriors. God created us in His image, and we are made to fight battles for those who cannot. We must engage in wars to set others free. We are warriors, and warriors are made to engage in battle.
The Lord is a warrior, and man is made in the image of this great warrior. What battles are you fighting? What wars are you preparing for? Man is a warrior because God is. Let us prepare for battle. Let us win the war. We are warriors.
"Iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another."
To God alone be the Glory!
Strength and Honor
The song of praise continues and they declare who God is. The Lord is a warrior. God fought the battle that they could not fight. He won the war that they had no hope of attaining victory in. God is a warrior, and if we look back at Genesis 1.27, "God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them." Man is made in the image of a warrior God, and if God is a warrior, so is man.
Men, we are warriors. God created us in His image, and we are made to fight battles for those who cannot. We must engage in wars to set others free. We are warriors, and warriors are made to engage in battle.
The Lord is a warrior, and man is made in the image of this great warrior. What battles are you fighting? What wars are you preparing for? Man is a warrior because God is. Let us prepare for battle. Let us win the war. We are warriors.
"Iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another."
To God alone be the Glory!
Strength and Honor
Sunday, May 11, 2014
When it Gets Worse
"Now the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 'Go, tell Pharaoh king of Egypt to let the sons of Israel go out of his land.' But Moses spoke before the Lord, saying, 'Behold, the sons of Israel have not listened to me; how then will Pharaoh listen to me, for I am unskilled in speech?' Then the Lord spoke to Moses and to Aaron, and gave them a charge to the sons of Israel and to Pharaoh king of Egypt, to bring the sons of Israel out of the land of Egypt." -Exodus 6.10-13
Israel's workload has been increased. They have to produces the same number of bricks each day, but now they must do so without being provided with any straw. The Israelite foremen are being beaten, and so the heads of Israel go to speak with Pharaoh. His ears are closed, and he sends them away with still with no straw to make bricks. As they leave they meet up with Moses and Aaron, and they aren't too happy with the pair. They accuse Moses of their new hardships, and Moses turns to God asking why he was even sent because the problem has just gotten worse for the people.
But then God shares the promise that He made with Abraham. Canaan will belong to Israel, God will be their God and they will be His people. He will lead them out of bondage and redeem them. This is His promise and He will keep it. He instructs Moses to go again and tell Pharaoh to let the people go, and it comes as no surprise that Moses isn't thrilled with this. He points out how his own people have not listened, so why would Pharaoh. And again we see him bring up his weakness. But then God speaks to him and Aaron, and gives them a charge, He entrusts them with a task, of bringing His people out of Egypt.
Up to this point things have only gotten worse. At first Israel was on board with the plan, God finally seemed to be concerned about them, but after the first attempt things go from bad to worse, and suddenly they aren't so gungho. Moses was already hesitant with the task, imagine how he must have felt in that moment.
Men, sometimes, often times, bad things get worse before they get better. You go into a rough situation with energy and enthusiasm, expecting to see God turn everything around right away. But rarely does it happen that way immediately. Most of the time bad things get worse before they get better. What do you do in those moments? Do you give up? Does one attempt that didn't go as planned break you? Would it break a warrior?
Or do you not focus on the "failure" but on the commission you've been given by God. If you're in the center of His will, you can endure the worse, because you can rest in His promise that it will end. Redemption and restoration are coming with God, but in order to experience them, we have to endure the worse. This is why we have to be warriors.
I'm thinking of a song quote from Rocky 4, "In the warrior's code there's no surrender. Though his body says stop his spirit cries never! Deep in our soul a quiet ember, knows it's you against you, it's the paradox that drives us on. It's a battle of wills. In the heat of attack it's the passion that kills. The victory is yours alone."
That is the attitude we must have. We never quit fighting for truth and righteousness. We never surrender. We stand firm on the charge God has placed on our lives. We trust Him to see us through the worse and bring the victory. Things will often get worse before they get better. Let's man up, let the warrior arise, and battle through it.
"Iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another."
To God alone be the Glory!
Strength and Honor
Israel's workload has been increased. They have to produces the same number of bricks each day, but now they must do so without being provided with any straw. The Israelite foremen are being beaten, and so the heads of Israel go to speak with Pharaoh. His ears are closed, and he sends them away with still with no straw to make bricks. As they leave they meet up with Moses and Aaron, and they aren't too happy with the pair. They accuse Moses of their new hardships, and Moses turns to God asking why he was even sent because the problem has just gotten worse for the people.
But then God shares the promise that He made with Abraham. Canaan will belong to Israel, God will be their God and they will be His people. He will lead them out of bondage and redeem them. This is His promise and He will keep it. He instructs Moses to go again and tell Pharaoh to let the people go, and it comes as no surprise that Moses isn't thrilled with this. He points out how his own people have not listened, so why would Pharaoh. And again we see him bring up his weakness. But then God speaks to him and Aaron, and gives them a charge, He entrusts them with a task, of bringing His people out of Egypt.
Up to this point things have only gotten worse. At first Israel was on board with the plan, God finally seemed to be concerned about them, but after the first attempt things go from bad to worse, and suddenly they aren't so gungho. Moses was already hesitant with the task, imagine how he must have felt in that moment.
Men, sometimes, often times, bad things get worse before they get better. You go into a rough situation with energy and enthusiasm, expecting to see God turn everything around right away. But rarely does it happen that way immediately. Most of the time bad things get worse before they get better. What do you do in those moments? Do you give up? Does one attempt that didn't go as planned break you? Would it break a warrior?
Or do you not focus on the "failure" but on the commission you've been given by God. If you're in the center of His will, you can endure the worse, because you can rest in His promise that it will end. Redemption and restoration are coming with God, but in order to experience them, we have to endure the worse. This is why we have to be warriors.
I'm thinking of a song quote from Rocky 4, "In the warrior's code there's no surrender. Though his body says stop his spirit cries never! Deep in our soul a quiet ember, knows it's you against you, it's the paradox that drives us on. It's a battle of wills. In the heat of attack it's the passion that kills. The victory is yours alone."
That is the attitude we must have. We never quit fighting for truth and righteousness. We never surrender. We stand firm on the charge God has placed on our lives. We trust Him to see us through the worse and bring the victory. Things will often get worse before they get better. Let's man up, let the warrior arise, and battle through it.
"Iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another."
To God alone be the Glory!
Strength and Honor
Sunday, April 27, 2014
Every Man a Warrior
"hen Israel said to Joseph, 'Behold, I am about to die, but God will be with you, and bring you back to the land of your fathers. I give you one portion more than your brothers, which I took from the hand of the Amorite with my sword and my bow.'" -Genesis 48.21-22
Jacob is about to die, and here, in one of the final statements of his life, we learn something new about him. Jacob was a warrior. He tells his son Joseph that he is giving him an extra portion of the land that he took with the sword and bow. Jacob fought battles, and emerged victorious. And this is the fist time we hear about it.
The man who started off as the gentle, tent dwelling, cook, became a warrior. He took to the road, learned to work, and apparently how to fight. It makes you wonder about his inaction when his daughter was raped. The man knew how to fight, and yet when the warrior was needed, he left his sword at his side. Why did the warrior stay in the camp instead of heading to the front lines? But whatever the reason, we see that Jacob had fought his share of battles.
I hadn't noticed this verse before, and needless to say it gave me pause. It drives home the fact that every man is a warrior, even if you never know about the battles he fights. It shows that every man is capable of being a warrior, even if he is a gentle man who enjoys things that may not seem to be the most masculine. Every man is a warrior.
Men, you are all warriors. The world may never know about the battles you fight, but they matter. This past week I added a quote to the left hand column, "The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing." If good men refuse to fight battles against evil, then evil wins. If we never allow the warriors in us to arise and be trained, we will not survive the battles when they come, and battles are coming.
Every man is a warrior. Don't deny it, and don't refuse to stand against evil. Let the warriors arise.
"Iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another."
To God alone be the Glory!
Strength and Honor
Jacob is about to die, and here, in one of the final statements of his life, we learn something new about him. Jacob was a warrior. He tells his son Joseph that he is giving him an extra portion of the land that he took with the sword and bow. Jacob fought battles, and emerged victorious. And this is the fist time we hear about it.
The man who started off as the gentle, tent dwelling, cook, became a warrior. He took to the road, learned to work, and apparently how to fight. It makes you wonder about his inaction when his daughter was raped. The man knew how to fight, and yet when the warrior was needed, he left his sword at his side. Why did the warrior stay in the camp instead of heading to the front lines? But whatever the reason, we see that Jacob had fought his share of battles.
I hadn't noticed this verse before, and needless to say it gave me pause. It drives home the fact that every man is a warrior, even if you never know about the battles he fights. It shows that every man is capable of being a warrior, even if he is a gentle man who enjoys things that may not seem to be the most masculine. Every man is a warrior.
Men, you are all warriors. The world may never know about the battles you fight, but they matter. This past week I added a quote to the left hand column, "The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing." If good men refuse to fight battles against evil, then evil wins. If we never allow the warriors in us to arise and be trained, we will not survive the battles when they come, and battles are coming.
Every man is a warrior. Don't deny it, and don't refuse to stand against evil. Let the warriors arise.
"Iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another."
To God alone be the Glory!
Strength and Honor
Thursday, October 24, 2013
The Way of the Wild Heart, Chapter 9: Raising the Warrior, part 7
Final post of this chapter, this has been a longer process than I initially thought it would be. But on the other hand, I believe the Warrior is predominately what every man is, and spending the most time here isn't a bad thing. In the previous section John shares a story about a friend who became the head of his company, which has brought on intense battles. He then says this, "Which reminds us that a King had better be a Warrior first, or else he will fold under the assault, or lead his people into passivity". Men, we must be warriors.
This chapter ends with a section titled, "Some Counsel from the Battlefield", and I feel like this is crucial information for all of us to keep in mind as we journey.
One Battle at a Time
"The enemy's first plan is to keep a man out of the battle altogether - through fear, or self-doubt, through bad theology or ignorance, through his wounds, or through the passivity we inherited from Adam. If that doesn't work (and it's worked with many a man), and a man rises up to be a Warrior, the enemy switches to dog pile. Bury you in battles. What he'll do is try to lure you into battles that aren't yours to fight. Be careful here - you don't want to take on every battle that comes your way... don't let yourself be lured into battles that aren't yours to fight, no matter how urgent they might seem... Ask Jesus, Do you want me to fight this? Get your orders from your King."
There are so many battles out there. There is so much corruption and injustice. It's too much for any one man to take down alone. We each have different gifts and passions, we have unique skills. We have to learn to pick our battles, and fight the enemy in front of us. The phalanx only works if each man does his part, and trusts his brothers to do theirs. If we try to take on everything, we'll fail, beat ourselves up, and be ineffective at everything. But if we get guidance and instruction from God, we'll see the battles He wants to use us for, and we'll be able to fight fully effective.
Fight Your Battles Once
"Don't fight your battles twice - once in worry and anticipation, and the second time when you actually enter into the event itself. Cross that bridge when you come to it, as the saying goes. This will require strength and resolve, resisting speculation, and it will strengthen the Warrior in you. It's another way of learning not to yield your heart - in this case, to worry and fretting."
When I first started wrestling, I got so nervous before matches. I couldn't sit down, couldn't do anything but think about it. It made me dread matches. But then something happened towards the end of my career, I stopped carrying about winning, and just focused on wrestling. Matches where fun, and I scored a ton of points. I actually looked forward to competition. It's easy to work ourselves up over something, but in the end it hurts our ability to combat it. We spend so much energy in anticipation that we go into battle drained and exhausted.
During any Important Event, Assume it's Warfare
"Treat it as such. And by 'important event,' I mean anything redemptive - a mission, or course, but also a source of joy like an anniversary. The enemy is out to steal your joy more than anything else."
I'm seeing this one right now. This morning on my walk with the dog I went to battle. Commanded Satan to flee and thanked God for the blessing my wife and I are receiving. Satan is after our joy all the time, and he'll twist something anyway he can to try and rob us of it. Don't let him steel the full enjoyment of God's blessings from you.
Resist it Quickly
"Don't let things get a foothold. However tired you may be, however distracted or inconvenient the moment, now is the time to fight...'for the enemy is then more easily overcome, if he is not suffered to enter the door of our hearts, but is resisted at the first knock.' Don't kid yourself, saying, 'I'll deal with this later.'... When you pray, or resist, or act decisively in the moments you least want to, the Warrior in you is strengthened. Next time you'll be even stronger."
The enemy attacks when he feels our guard is lowered, so keep it up. As soon as you feel the attack, drop into a fighting stance and defend yourself. Don't allow him to get inside your guard, and definitely don't allow him to come into camp and make himself at home by the fire. As soon as you feel the attack fight back. The enemy is a coward and usually won't stay long in a battle he's sure not to win. So strike quickly and push him back.
You won't Feel Like a Warrior
In the midst of battle, you will often feel confused, disoriented, perhaps overwhelmed, troubled with self-doubt. You will certainly feel the spirits that are present, and they will try to make you believe it's you that is angry, or prideful, or whatever assaults you. Set your face like a flint. It will clear, eventually, and you will again feel the presence of God and who you truly are. In the midst of it, war is chaos."
Yeah, I feel that way, a lot. And that's how the enemy wants us to feel, like we're all alone, and in over our heads. But this is where we must remember first and foremost, that we are Beloved Sons of the Father who has commanded and promised "Be strong and courageous! Do not tremble or be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go." War is chaotic, and so it is crucial that we know our identity before we get into it.
Stay with it
"It takes more than a single skirmish to win a battle, and a hate-filled enemy usually will not yield at a single swing from us. Keep at it. The enemy is testing your resolve. Show him that no matter how long it takes, you fully intend to win."
In the Warrior's code, there's no surrender. We stand our ground and come back with our shields, or on them. Victory or death are the only two choices. And we are well trained Warriors fighting on the side that cannot lose. Don't give up my brothers, persevere to victory.
It Will Make You Holy
"First, that holiness is your best weapon. Spiritual warfare will make you holy. Trust me...The battle we find ourselves in gives a whole new purpose to holiness. The call is not to 'be a moral man because it's decent.' The call is to 'become a holy man and a Warrior, for you are needed in the battle, and if you don not become that man, you will be taken out.'"
That's the goal, holiness, Christlikeness. We are told in the Romans 5.1-5 and in James 1.2-4, that trials and hardships are there to mold us into the image of Christ. Romans 8 tells us that all things work for the good of those who love God and are called according to His purpose (verse 28). In the following verses (29-30) we see that this purpose is for us to become like Christ and to be glorified with Christ. The only way for this to happen is through trial and hardship. Christ endured, and overcame them, and so must we. He is there with us to help us, and the more we endure, the more like Him we become.
"The recovery of the Warrior is absolutely crucial to the recovery of a man. All else rests on this, for you will have to fight, my brothers, for everything you desire and everything you hold dear in this world. Despite what you feel, or what you may have been told, you have a Warrior's heart, because you bear the image of God. And he will train you to become a great Warrior, if you'll let him."
Men, we are Warriors, and we are needed in battle, now more than ever. Take up your shield, stand beside me in the phalanx, and let's take back ground for the Kingdom. Let the Warrior's rise.
"Father, you are a great Warrior, and I am made in your image. I am your son, and a warrior too. Open my eyes to see how you have been developing the Warrior in me."
"Iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another."
To God alone be the Glory!
Strength and Honor
This chapter ends with a section titled, "Some Counsel from the Battlefield", and I feel like this is crucial information for all of us to keep in mind as we journey.
One Battle at a Time
"The enemy's first plan is to keep a man out of the battle altogether - through fear, or self-doubt, through bad theology or ignorance, through his wounds, or through the passivity we inherited from Adam. If that doesn't work (and it's worked with many a man), and a man rises up to be a Warrior, the enemy switches to dog pile. Bury you in battles. What he'll do is try to lure you into battles that aren't yours to fight. Be careful here - you don't want to take on every battle that comes your way... don't let yourself be lured into battles that aren't yours to fight, no matter how urgent they might seem... Ask Jesus, Do you want me to fight this? Get your orders from your King."
There are so many battles out there. There is so much corruption and injustice. It's too much for any one man to take down alone. We each have different gifts and passions, we have unique skills. We have to learn to pick our battles, and fight the enemy in front of us. The phalanx only works if each man does his part, and trusts his brothers to do theirs. If we try to take on everything, we'll fail, beat ourselves up, and be ineffective at everything. But if we get guidance and instruction from God, we'll see the battles He wants to use us for, and we'll be able to fight fully effective.
Fight Your Battles Once
"Don't fight your battles twice - once in worry and anticipation, and the second time when you actually enter into the event itself. Cross that bridge when you come to it, as the saying goes. This will require strength and resolve, resisting speculation, and it will strengthen the Warrior in you. It's another way of learning not to yield your heart - in this case, to worry and fretting."
When I first started wrestling, I got so nervous before matches. I couldn't sit down, couldn't do anything but think about it. It made me dread matches. But then something happened towards the end of my career, I stopped carrying about winning, and just focused on wrestling. Matches where fun, and I scored a ton of points. I actually looked forward to competition. It's easy to work ourselves up over something, but in the end it hurts our ability to combat it. We spend so much energy in anticipation that we go into battle drained and exhausted.
During any Important Event, Assume it's Warfare
"Treat it as such. And by 'important event,' I mean anything redemptive - a mission, or course, but also a source of joy like an anniversary. The enemy is out to steal your joy more than anything else."
I'm seeing this one right now. This morning on my walk with the dog I went to battle. Commanded Satan to flee and thanked God for the blessing my wife and I are receiving. Satan is after our joy all the time, and he'll twist something anyway he can to try and rob us of it. Don't let him steel the full enjoyment of God's blessings from you.
Resist it Quickly
"Don't let things get a foothold. However tired you may be, however distracted or inconvenient the moment, now is the time to fight...'for the enemy is then more easily overcome, if he is not suffered to enter the door of our hearts, but is resisted at the first knock.' Don't kid yourself, saying, 'I'll deal with this later.'... When you pray, or resist, or act decisively in the moments you least want to, the Warrior in you is strengthened. Next time you'll be even stronger."
The enemy attacks when he feels our guard is lowered, so keep it up. As soon as you feel the attack, drop into a fighting stance and defend yourself. Don't allow him to get inside your guard, and definitely don't allow him to come into camp and make himself at home by the fire. As soon as you feel the attack fight back. The enemy is a coward and usually won't stay long in a battle he's sure not to win. So strike quickly and push him back.
You won't Feel Like a Warrior
In the midst of battle, you will often feel confused, disoriented, perhaps overwhelmed, troubled with self-doubt. You will certainly feel the spirits that are present, and they will try to make you believe it's you that is angry, or prideful, or whatever assaults you. Set your face like a flint. It will clear, eventually, and you will again feel the presence of God and who you truly are. In the midst of it, war is chaos."
Yeah, I feel that way, a lot. And that's how the enemy wants us to feel, like we're all alone, and in over our heads. But this is where we must remember first and foremost, that we are Beloved Sons of the Father who has commanded and promised "Be strong and courageous! Do not tremble or be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go." War is chaotic, and so it is crucial that we know our identity before we get into it.
Stay with it
"It takes more than a single skirmish to win a battle, and a hate-filled enemy usually will not yield at a single swing from us. Keep at it. The enemy is testing your resolve. Show him that no matter how long it takes, you fully intend to win."
In the Warrior's code, there's no surrender. We stand our ground and come back with our shields, or on them. Victory or death are the only two choices. And we are well trained Warriors fighting on the side that cannot lose. Don't give up my brothers, persevere to victory.
It Will Make You Holy
"First, that holiness is your best weapon. Spiritual warfare will make you holy. Trust me...The battle we find ourselves in gives a whole new purpose to holiness. The call is not to 'be a moral man because it's decent.' The call is to 'become a holy man and a Warrior, for you are needed in the battle, and if you don not become that man, you will be taken out.'"
That's the goal, holiness, Christlikeness. We are told in the Romans 5.1-5 and in James 1.2-4, that trials and hardships are there to mold us into the image of Christ. Romans 8 tells us that all things work for the good of those who love God and are called according to His purpose (verse 28). In the following verses (29-30) we see that this purpose is for us to become like Christ and to be glorified with Christ. The only way for this to happen is through trial and hardship. Christ endured, and overcame them, and so must we. He is there with us to help us, and the more we endure, the more like Him we become.
"The recovery of the Warrior is absolutely crucial to the recovery of a man. All else rests on this, for you will have to fight, my brothers, for everything you desire and everything you hold dear in this world. Despite what you feel, or what you may have been told, you have a Warrior's heart, because you bear the image of God. And he will train you to become a great Warrior, if you'll let him."
Men, we are Warriors, and we are needed in battle, now more than ever. Take up your shield, stand beside me in the phalanx, and let's take back ground for the Kingdom. Let the Warrior's rise.
"Father, you are a great Warrior, and I am made in your image. I am your son, and a warrior too. Open my eyes to see how you have been developing the Warrior in me."
"Iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another."
To God alone be the Glory!
Strength and Honor
Wednesday, October 23, 2013
The Way of the Wild Heart, Chapter 9: Raising the Warrior, part 6
"Life will provide a thousand sessions for the raising of the Warrior. Turn your radar on during the day, and intentionally don't take the path of least resistance. Take the road less traveled. If you are the kind of man who just hates any sort of conflict, then walk into some. When an awkward subject comes up at work - or at home - don't run. Move toward it. Ask hard questions. Hold your ground. The phone rings, and you can tell by the caller ID it's someone you don't want to talk to. Pick it up. Engage. That's the key word - engage."
If we want to be Warriors, we have to man up and act like Warriors. Paul said it in 1 Corinthians, "act like men, be strong." At Thermopylae, 300 Spartans faced hundreds of thousands of Persians, and they stood their ground. Less than 200 men defended the Alamo against thousands of Mexicans. Thousands of Allied troops hit the fortified shores of Normandy. You don't become a Warrior by retreating, you do it by getting back up and running the gauntlet again. You become a Warrior by running to the battle, not away from it. It's what you do that defines you.
"There are things we can do intentionally to develop the Warrior... Competition is good, and ought to be a part of every man's life. Adventure also provides many settings for the Warrior to come forth... head into something that will really test you, and you'll see the Warrior emerge. Be decisive. Every time a man makes a hard decision, the Warrior in him is strengthened. Notice those places you are normally passive, and do the opposite. What are you surrendering these days? Go take it back."
Again, this isn't something that happens accidentally, or by random chance. If it's going to happen it has to be intentional. The only way to get better is to push our selves forward. The only way to improve is to keep pushing our limits farther. The more we do, the more we'll realize that we're tougher, and stronger, than we ever thought.
And it's crucial that we prepare ourselves because battle is something we cannot escape. We are born into a world at war, and it is only a matter of time until we are called up to fight. "Eventually we find that we must face our enemy head-on." We have a real enemy, and he is always working to destroy us. He never wanted us to begin this journey, let alone get this far, and he has no intention of sitting by and letting us continue unopposed. We must resist him if we are to continue onward in our journey.
"WE have the example of Jesus in the wilderness as a model for how we must resist Satan (and all foul spirits - for Satan has many subordinate demons working for him). Jesus treats him like a real person (not a human being, but a fallen angel with an intellect and personality). He doesn't treat the temptations and accusations and assault simply as if they are weaknesses within himself; nor does he act as though they will go away if he tries to ignore him. He directly confronts the demon present out loud, with authority, and with Scripture."
As we seek to become like Christ, the enemy will try to take us out, just like he tried to take Christ out. The ultimate point of the wilderness attack was to try and get Jesus to avoid the cross. Satan did everything he could to prevent the will of God from being accomplished, and he failed. Jesus' victory empowered each of us to be victorious. William Barclay said, "The choices Jesus made in the wilderness inevitably meant the cross. But the cross, just as inevitably meant the final victory."
"Jesus triumphed over all foul spirits through his cross (Col. 2.:13-15). All authority in heaven and on this earth is his now (Matt. 28:18). He gives us his authority to overcome foul spirits (Luke 10:19; Eph. 1:18-21)... Jesus models for us in the wilderness trial that first, we make no agreements with it. Give no room in your heart to it. Then, send it away in his name. Your life is the training ground, and when it comes to spiritual warfare, it's all live-ammo training. Take it seriously."
Aragorn tells Theoden, "Open war is upon you, whether you would risk it or not." And the same is true of us. We are born into war, and so we must be ready. Fortunately, we are made in the image of a warrior God, and therefor Warriors ourselves. We must be intentional and ready for the battle.
"Iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another."
To God alone be the Glory!
Strength and Honor
If we want to be Warriors, we have to man up and act like Warriors. Paul said it in 1 Corinthians, "act like men, be strong." At Thermopylae, 300 Spartans faced hundreds of thousands of Persians, and they stood their ground. Less than 200 men defended the Alamo against thousands of Mexicans. Thousands of Allied troops hit the fortified shores of Normandy. You don't become a Warrior by retreating, you do it by getting back up and running the gauntlet again. You become a Warrior by running to the battle, not away from it. It's what you do that defines you.
"There are things we can do intentionally to develop the Warrior... Competition is good, and ought to be a part of every man's life. Adventure also provides many settings for the Warrior to come forth... head into something that will really test you, and you'll see the Warrior emerge. Be decisive. Every time a man makes a hard decision, the Warrior in him is strengthened. Notice those places you are normally passive, and do the opposite. What are you surrendering these days? Go take it back."
Again, this isn't something that happens accidentally, or by random chance. If it's going to happen it has to be intentional. The only way to get better is to push our selves forward. The only way to improve is to keep pushing our limits farther. The more we do, the more we'll realize that we're tougher, and stronger, than we ever thought.
And it's crucial that we prepare ourselves because battle is something we cannot escape. We are born into a world at war, and it is only a matter of time until we are called up to fight. "Eventually we find that we must face our enemy head-on." We have a real enemy, and he is always working to destroy us. He never wanted us to begin this journey, let alone get this far, and he has no intention of sitting by and letting us continue unopposed. We must resist him if we are to continue onward in our journey.
"WE have the example of Jesus in the wilderness as a model for how we must resist Satan (and all foul spirits - for Satan has many subordinate demons working for him). Jesus treats him like a real person (not a human being, but a fallen angel with an intellect and personality). He doesn't treat the temptations and accusations and assault simply as if they are weaknesses within himself; nor does he act as though they will go away if he tries to ignore him. He directly confronts the demon present out loud, with authority, and with Scripture."
As we seek to become like Christ, the enemy will try to take us out, just like he tried to take Christ out. The ultimate point of the wilderness attack was to try and get Jesus to avoid the cross. Satan did everything he could to prevent the will of God from being accomplished, and he failed. Jesus' victory empowered each of us to be victorious. William Barclay said, "The choices Jesus made in the wilderness inevitably meant the cross. But the cross, just as inevitably meant the final victory."
"Jesus triumphed over all foul spirits through his cross (Col. 2.:13-15). All authority in heaven and on this earth is his now (Matt. 28:18). He gives us his authority to overcome foul spirits (Luke 10:19; Eph. 1:18-21)... Jesus models for us in the wilderness trial that first, we make no agreements with it. Give no room in your heart to it. Then, send it away in his name. Your life is the training ground, and when it comes to spiritual warfare, it's all live-ammo training. Take it seriously."
Aragorn tells Theoden, "Open war is upon you, whether you would risk it or not." And the same is true of us. We are born into war, and so we must be ready. Fortunately, we are made in the image of a warrior God, and therefor Warriors ourselves. We must be intentional and ready for the battle.
"Iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another."
To God alone be the Glory!
Strength and Honor
Tuesday, October 22, 2013
The Way of the Wild Heart, Chapter 9: Raising the Warrior, part 5
"Before we talk about Warrior training for a man, it might be good to first address raising the lost Warrior in a man, resurrecting him... it might be best for a man to go back to those times and places in his own story when the Warrior was wounded. Invite Christ to take you there, and speak, and bring the healing you need. Some of you just need to live as the Beloved Son for a while, and then experience your initiation as a Cowboy. Then you can enter the Warrior stage."
I think this is a crucial step in the masculine journey for many of us. These stages cannot be skipped, they build on each other. Everyone boy has the Warrior hardwired into him, but sadly and far too often, somewhere along the journey the warrior is fatally wounded, and goes into hiding. I lost a varsity spot on the wrestling team in a wrestle off that shouldn't have happened. In churches, I've tried to change the world, and been shut down by leadership and people. How many young warriors has this happened too? We have passion to change the world and believe we can, but then we find many in the world really don't want to change and with no king to follow the fire is smothered.
Some don't even get to begin the journey. For one reason or another they are never given the security and freedom to be the Beloved Son. Without this key foundation it is impossible to move forward and find the initiation into Cowboy and then Warrior stages. Some are robbed of the early stage and it is cut short, forcing them to grow into a role they are not ready for.
In this it is crucial for us to remember that God wants to father us. He'll take us back to the places we missed or were robbed of. He'll bring healing to the wounded areas and initiate us properly. He'll love and affirm us as His Beloved Sons. He'll challenge us as Cowboys. And when the time is right, He'll call out the Warrior.
"How does God raise the Warrior in a man? Hardship. Something in you knows it's true. I think this is where we have most misinterpreted what God is up to in our lives. As long as we are committed to the path of least resistance, to making our lives comfortable, trial and tribulation will feel unkind. But, if we are looking for a dojo in which to train as a Warrior, well then - this is the real deal. What better means than hardship? What better way to train a Warrior than by putting a man in situation after situation where he must fight?"
As I read that my mind went to ancient Sparta. Spartan boys were taken from their mothers at the age of seven and brought into the Agoge. Here they were molded into the greatest soldiers of the ancient world. Here they became Spartans. They were given very little food which encouraged them to steal, and there was only punishment when they were caught. The punishment wasn't for stealing, but for getting caught. The hunger prepared them for war when food was short. As they grew they engaged in full contact weapons training. Some died, but it was all part of their training, your brothers are going to die in battle, get used to it. They were beaten so that they learned to ignore pain. And it was from this that Spartans were formed. This is how warriors were made, through hardship and hands on, in the field training.
Our Warrior training doesn't fall into the same physical extremes, but it is crucial that we come to grips with the fact that we will face hardships. "You will be tested. Like Jesus' desert trial, the enemy comes, probing the perimeter. He knows your story, knows where the weak spots are. But this is our training... This is how we develop a resolute heart. We make no agreements with whatever the temptation or accusation is. We repent the moment we do stumble, repent quickly, so that we don't get hammered. We pray for strength from the Spirit of God in us. We directly - and this is the one thing so many men fail to do - we directly resist the enemy, out loud, as Jesus did in the desert. We quote Scripture against him. We command him to flee."
We are part of an Epic Story, and we're called to the battlefield. We begin the journey as Beloved Sons, who know who our Father is, and know that we are loved and treasured by Him. We grow and begin to discover our strength. We adventure to conquer our fear and push our limits. We work to develop discipline and perseverance. And then the time comes for us to take the lessons we've learned, the courage and conviction we've developed, out to the front lines and stand our ground for the Kingdom.
This isn't something that is done passively or unintentionally. This is a deliberate choice we make. Let the Warrior arise.
"Iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another."
To God alone be the Glory!
Strength and Honor
I think this is a crucial step in the masculine journey for many of us. These stages cannot be skipped, they build on each other. Everyone boy has the Warrior hardwired into him, but sadly and far too often, somewhere along the journey the warrior is fatally wounded, and goes into hiding. I lost a varsity spot on the wrestling team in a wrestle off that shouldn't have happened. In churches, I've tried to change the world, and been shut down by leadership and people. How many young warriors has this happened too? We have passion to change the world and believe we can, but then we find many in the world really don't want to change and with no king to follow the fire is smothered.
Some don't even get to begin the journey. For one reason or another they are never given the security and freedom to be the Beloved Son. Without this key foundation it is impossible to move forward and find the initiation into Cowboy and then Warrior stages. Some are robbed of the early stage and it is cut short, forcing them to grow into a role they are not ready for.
In this it is crucial for us to remember that God wants to father us. He'll take us back to the places we missed or were robbed of. He'll bring healing to the wounded areas and initiate us properly. He'll love and affirm us as His Beloved Sons. He'll challenge us as Cowboys. And when the time is right, He'll call out the Warrior.
"How does God raise the Warrior in a man? Hardship. Something in you knows it's true. I think this is where we have most misinterpreted what God is up to in our lives. As long as we are committed to the path of least resistance, to making our lives comfortable, trial and tribulation will feel unkind. But, if we are looking for a dojo in which to train as a Warrior, well then - this is the real deal. What better means than hardship? What better way to train a Warrior than by putting a man in situation after situation where he must fight?"
As I read that my mind went to ancient Sparta. Spartan boys were taken from their mothers at the age of seven and brought into the Agoge. Here they were molded into the greatest soldiers of the ancient world. Here they became Spartans. They were given very little food which encouraged them to steal, and there was only punishment when they were caught. The punishment wasn't for stealing, but for getting caught. The hunger prepared them for war when food was short. As they grew they engaged in full contact weapons training. Some died, but it was all part of their training, your brothers are going to die in battle, get used to it. They were beaten so that they learned to ignore pain. And it was from this that Spartans were formed. This is how warriors were made, through hardship and hands on, in the field training.
Our Warrior training doesn't fall into the same physical extremes, but it is crucial that we come to grips with the fact that we will face hardships. "You will be tested. Like Jesus' desert trial, the enemy comes, probing the perimeter. He knows your story, knows where the weak spots are. But this is our training... This is how we develop a resolute heart. We make no agreements with whatever the temptation or accusation is. We repent the moment we do stumble, repent quickly, so that we don't get hammered. We pray for strength from the Spirit of God in us. We directly - and this is the one thing so many men fail to do - we directly resist the enemy, out loud, as Jesus did in the desert. We quote Scripture against him. We command him to flee."
We are part of an Epic Story, and we're called to the battlefield. We begin the journey as Beloved Sons, who know who our Father is, and know that we are loved and treasured by Him. We grow and begin to discover our strength. We adventure to conquer our fear and push our limits. We work to develop discipline and perseverance. And then the time comes for us to take the lessons we've learned, the courage and conviction we've developed, out to the front lines and stand our ground for the Kingdom.
This isn't something that is done passively or unintentionally. This is a deliberate choice we make. Let the Warrior arise.
"Iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another."
To God alone be the Glory!
Strength and Honor
Monday, October 21, 2013
The Way of the Wild Heart, Chapter 9: Raising the Warrior, part 4
"Let us focus on the young men, whom we see are the Warriors. They are strong (or valiant), the Word of God lives in them, and they have overcome the evil one. That's good. To cultivate this in a young man... it might help to think along three lines: Bravery, Conviction, and an Epic Story." We looked at Bravery which comes from Conviction, and now for the root of it all, an Epic Story.
"He will need a cause. He will need battles to fight. Far a young man in his twenties, this might mean a stint in the military service, or it might mean grad school. He might be encouraged to join the smoke jumpers, or a search-and-rescue outfit - some place that he is needed. Missions work would be timely now, especially in dangerous situations. Stories of great men fighting for a cause will help foster this. They need to see it modeled, and they need a story they can be invited into."
Seeing your life as part of an Epic Story is essential. Over the past year, maybe two or three, I really haven't had a sense of that. There hasn't been adventure, and I really haven't felt like I've been involved in any battle that matters. I haven't really needed any conviction, and there really has been no need for bravery. And it all comes down to the fact that I haven't seen my life as part of an Epic Story. Without an Epic Story to be part of, there is no life, we just exist. A man needs to know he's part of something bigger than himself and his present circumstances.
"There is something in the heart of a young man that says, 'Give me a cause. I am supposed to fight.' He is made for battle, and he must be given a Christianity that includes a great battle. The battle to behave yourself - the Christianity of 'just don't do anything bad' - will not suffice, I assure you. Minding your manners needs no Warrior. The young man becoming a Warrior needs a bigger story."
That is what my heart longs for, now more than ever. Right now at church I've been given some opportunity to be part of the larger work the church is doing. I lead a small group of young married couples with my wife; we've been doing that for almost six months now. Recently however, I've been invited to be part of something bigger. My pastor asked me to teach a three week class for new believers. They are really working to get people connected, and rooted in the new life that Christ offers. In addition to this, I've been asked to be part of a curriculum writing team that is working on a twelve week class to follow up the three week class, and take new believers deeper into the essentials of the Christian faith.
And as I'm doing this, I want more, but this is the role I've been given to play for the moment. I might not be satisfied, but I'm learning contentment because I know that all of this is warrior training for the next stage of my life, and it will, in some capacity, help many lives over the next several years. This is bigger than me, it's Kingdom work. And it's helping me to strengthen some of my gifts, and direct me to where my real passion lies. It's focusing my conviction and leading me to the battles I am called to fight.
"How desperately we need to recover a Warrior culture among men, if only on behalf of the young men who need Someone and Something to look up to. It may never happen in our churches - oh, how I pray it does - but it can happen in our fellowships of men."
As I've been working on this blog for most of this year, and thought about doing it for close to two years before starting it, I've really felt that this is the battle I am to fight. There are several things I'm passionate about, but recently reaching out to men and boys, and working to bring them through initiation has been the thing that has most stood out to me, and excited me. I haven't written much on my other blog because my mind has been very blank whenever I try to, but this one, I can't wait to get to it, and wish I had more time to just focus on it. This is the battle I am called to fight; this is where this Warrior must make his stand.
What are your passions? You are a Warrior, made in the image of a Warrior God, and you have been created to play a vital role in His Epic Story. Your life and strength are not yours simply to exist and get through life. They, like every other blessing, are yours to serve and bless others. You are a Warrior. "Above all, the boy needs to see his father is a Warrior, caught up in a great battle. Which brings us to men."
"Iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another."
To God alone be the Glory!
Strength and Honor
"He will need a cause. He will need battles to fight. Far a young man in his twenties, this might mean a stint in the military service, or it might mean grad school. He might be encouraged to join the smoke jumpers, or a search-and-rescue outfit - some place that he is needed. Missions work would be timely now, especially in dangerous situations. Stories of great men fighting for a cause will help foster this. They need to see it modeled, and they need a story they can be invited into."
Seeing your life as part of an Epic Story is essential. Over the past year, maybe two or three, I really haven't had a sense of that. There hasn't been adventure, and I really haven't felt like I've been involved in any battle that matters. I haven't really needed any conviction, and there really has been no need for bravery. And it all comes down to the fact that I haven't seen my life as part of an Epic Story. Without an Epic Story to be part of, there is no life, we just exist. A man needs to know he's part of something bigger than himself and his present circumstances.
"There is something in the heart of a young man that says, 'Give me a cause. I am supposed to fight.' He is made for battle, and he must be given a Christianity that includes a great battle. The battle to behave yourself - the Christianity of 'just don't do anything bad' - will not suffice, I assure you. Minding your manners needs no Warrior. The young man becoming a Warrior needs a bigger story."
That is what my heart longs for, now more than ever. Right now at church I've been given some opportunity to be part of the larger work the church is doing. I lead a small group of young married couples with my wife; we've been doing that for almost six months now. Recently however, I've been invited to be part of something bigger. My pastor asked me to teach a three week class for new believers. They are really working to get people connected, and rooted in the new life that Christ offers. In addition to this, I've been asked to be part of a curriculum writing team that is working on a twelve week class to follow up the three week class, and take new believers deeper into the essentials of the Christian faith.
And as I'm doing this, I want more, but this is the role I've been given to play for the moment. I might not be satisfied, but I'm learning contentment because I know that all of this is warrior training for the next stage of my life, and it will, in some capacity, help many lives over the next several years. This is bigger than me, it's Kingdom work. And it's helping me to strengthen some of my gifts, and direct me to where my real passion lies. It's focusing my conviction and leading me to the battles I am called to fight.
"How desperately we need to recover a Warrior culture among men, if only on behalf of the young men who need Someone and Something to look up to. It may never happen in our churches - oh, how I pray it does - but it can happen in our fellowships of men."
As I've been working on this blog for most of this year, and thought about doing it for close to two years before starting it, I've really felt that this is the battle I am to fight. There are several things I'm passionate about, but recently reaching out to men and boys, and working to bring them through initiation has been the thing that has most stood out to me, and excited me. I haven't written much on my other blog because my mind has been very blank whenever I try to, but this one, I can't wait to get to it, and wish I had more time to just focus on it. This is the battle I am called to fight; this is where this Warrior must make his stand.
What are your passions? You are a Warrior, made in the image of a Warrior God, and you have been created to play a vital role in His Epic Story. Your life and strength are not yours simply to exist and get through life. They, like every other blessing, are yours to serve and bless others. You are a Warrior. "Above all, the boy needs to see his father is a Warrior, caught up in a great battle. Which brings us to men."
"Iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another."
To God alone be the Glory!
Strength and Honor
Saturday, October 19, 2013
The Way of the Wild Heart, Chapter 9: Raising the Warrior, part 3
"Let us focus on the young men, whom we see are the Warriors. They are strong (or valiant), the Word of God lives in them, and they have overcome the evil one. That's good. To cultivate this in a young man... it might help to think along three lines: Bravery, Conviction, and an Epic Story." We looked at Bravery, today let's examine Conviction.
Conviction is crucial for a young man to have and live by. Again, "A man will follow his own convictions to his death, but he'll only follow another man's convictions until he steps in manure." Conviction is what empowers a warrior’s bravery to come out. It gives him a context for it and a reason for it. It gives what he does a point.
In the movie Secondhand Lions there is a scene where the one uncle, Garth, asks his brother, Hub, "All your life you've never been afraid of anything. So what's eating at you now? Getting old? Dying?" His reply, "Being useless. When we were younger there was always a point." A man must have conviction in his life. He must have something to live for.
If you look at Warrior cultures down through history there was an oath they took, a creed they lived by. For the Spartans it was, "Go tell the Spartans passerby, that here by Spartan Law we lie." They would never retreat or surrender, it was victory or death. In their culture the mother would present her son with his shield, and as she gave it to him she spoke these words, "With it, or on it." He was to come back alive and carrying it or dead being carried on it. The shield was the reason they were so successful in battle, and it was also the first thing you would want to abandon if you decided to run. It was driving the point home of victory in battle or death.
"There is something in a noble oath, a code, a cause, that stirs the heart of a man. To learn, for example, that samurai means 'to serve.' To be dangerous and powerful in order to serve. As with the samurai, nearly every warrior society down through the ages had a code of some sort. After all, we aren’t raising reckless warriors; we are raising men who fight for a cause."
Without a cause what's the point? A cause is what can keep you going when things get hard, and when there seems to be no light at the end of the tunnel. Conviction and a cause keep hope alive. It gives purpose to things that seem like a waste. It keeps you going when everyone else around you is giving up. We need conviction, we need a cause. And the cause helps to channel the strength of the Warrior.
"Young men typically have a strong sense of justice... Go with it. Teach him the honor of right and wrong. Let him see it in you. Let him get angry over things. His thinking tends to be black and white, which at this stage is just fine, because he needs to confront evil and take his stand against it. The young man needs a cause and a King... Hopefully, the King will guide the zeal of the young Warrior into the right channels. You might be the King who leads your sons, and together, you serve the King of all kings."
Conviction is what guides a man's sense of right and wrong, and it's crucial that we pour into our sons what God says about it. The world will offer so many things. It will water down His truth and try to get a young Warrior to compromise on the standards of holiness and righteousness. He must have conviction on what is true and right if he is to survive. And it is at this stage of his life that his own personal faith begins to really develop.
It is here, as Warriors, that, "they come to take their faith seriously at this stage. It is no longer 'my parents" faith,' it is mine now. It might happen in high school, but more often in college. We should not attempt to rush this. It needs to come organically from within." A Warrior must develop his own relationship with the King of kings. A father can only take him so far, but he plays an important role, because what a boy sees in his father will shape his view of God. And forcing this on a young man, engaging him in something that for the large part is ritual and habit, will do a great deal of harm.
"How do we help them not just know, but love the Word of God? Rote memorization won't do it, and I've counseled too many young men whose souls grew numb to the Scriptures because of Bible class... The greatest enemy of true faith has always been religion, and a religious attitude is not what we are after. Let them see your love for the Scriptures. Let them see the Word of God dwell in you richly. Talk about it naturally, as you bring it into daily life. Teach the young man to have time with God that is real and meaningful." This is something he must witness and then develop on his own. He is unique, and God will speak to him uniquely. Our job is simply to model a life that loves and serves God. Our job is to live in a relationship with God, and allow our sons to witness what it looks like. God will guide him into what his own looks like.
We must guide Warriors to conviction if they are truly to become Men of God. "He will need a cause. He will need battles to fight... They need to see it modeled, and they need a story they can be invited into." That is where we are headed next.
"Iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another."
To God alone be the Glory!
Strength and Honor
Conviction is crucial for a young man to have and live by. Again, "A man will follow his own convictions to his death, but he'll only follow another man's convictions until he steps in manure." Conviction is what empowers a warrior’s bravery to come out. It gives him a context for it and a reason for it. It gives what he does a point.
In the movie Secondhand Lions there is a scene where the one uncle, Garth, asks his brother, Hub, "All your life you've never been afraid of anything. So what's eating at you now? Getting old? Dying?" His reply, "Being useless. When we were younger there was always a point." A man must have conviction in his life. He must have something to live for.
If you look at Warrior cultures down through history there was an oath they took, a creed they lived by. For the Spartans it was, "Go tell the Spartans passerby, that here by Spartan Law we lie." They would never retreat or surrender, it was victory or death. In their culture the mother would present her son with his shield, and as she gave it to him she spoke these words, "With it, or on it." He was to come back alive and carrying it or dead being carried on it. The shield was the reason they were so successful in battle, and it was also the first thing you would want to abandon if you decided to run. It was driving the point home of victory in battle or death.
"There is something in a noble oath, a code, a cause, that stirs the heart of a man. To learn, for example, that samurai means 'to serve.' To be dangerous and powerful in order to serve. As with the samurai, nearly every warrior society down through the ages had a code of some sort. After all, we aren’t raising reckless warriors; we are raising men who fight for a cause."
Without a cause what's the point? A cause is what can keep you going when things get hard, and when there seems to be no light at the end of the tunnel. Conviction and a cause keep hope alive. It gives purpose to things that seem like a waste. It keeps you going when everyone else around you is giving up. We need conviction, we need a cause. And the cause helps to channel the strength of the Warrior.
"Young men typically have a strong sense of justice... Go with it. Teach him the honor of right and wrong. Let him see it in you. Let him get angry over things. His thinking tends to be black and white, which at this stage is just fine, because he needs to confront evil and take his stand against it. The young man needs a cause and a King... Hopefully, the King will guide the zeal of the young Warrior into the right channels. You might be the King who leads your sons, and together, you serve the King of all kings."
Conviction is what guides a man's sense of right and wrong, and it's crucial that we pour into our sons what God says about it. The world will offer so many things. It will water down His truth and try to get a young Warrior to compromise on the standards of holiness and righteousness. He must have conviction on what is true and right if he is to survive. And it is at this stage of his life that his own personal faith begins to really develop.
It is here, as Warriors, that, "they come to take their faith seriously at this stage. It is no longer 'my parents" faith,' it is mine now. It might happen in high school, but more often in college. We should not attempt to rush this. It needs to come organically from within." A Warrior must develop his own relationship with the King of kings. A father can only take him so far, but he plays an important role, because what a boy sees in his father will shape his view of God. And forcing this on a young man, engaging him in something that for the large part is ritual and habit, will do a great deal of harm.
"How do we help them not just know, but love the Word of God? Rote memorization won't do it, and I've counseled too many young men whose souls grew numb to the Scriptures because of Bible class... The greatest enemy of true faith has always been religion, and a religious attitude is not what we are after. Let them see your love for the Scriptures. Let them see the Word of God dwell in you richly. Talk about it naturally, as you bring it into daily life. Teach the young man to have time with God that is real and meaningful." This is something he must witness and then develop on his own. He is unique, and God will speak to him uniquely. Our job is simply to model a life that loves and serves God. Our job is to live in a relationship with God, and allow our sons to witness what it looks like. God will guide him into what his own looks like.
We must guide Warriors to conviction if they are truly to become Men of God. "He will need a cause. He will need battles to fight... They need to see it modeled, and they need a story they can be invited into." That is where we are headed next.
"Iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another."
To God alone be the Glory!
Strength and Honor
Thursday, October 17, 2013
The Way of the Wild Heart, Chapter 9: Raising the Warrior, part 2
"I am writing to you, little children, because your sins have been forgiven you for His name’s sake. I am writing to you, fathers, because you know Him who has been from the beginning. I am writing to you, young men, because you have overcome the evil one. I have written to you, children, because you know the Father. I have written to you, fathers, because you know Him who has been from the beginning. I have written to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God abides in you, and you have overcome the evil one" (1 John 2.12-14).
These verses show us a glimpse of each of the stages of the masculine journey. Becoming Beloved Sons when our sins are forgiven and coming to really know the Father. Cowboys and Warriors who are strong and overcome the enemy. Lovers, Kings, and Sages, who have a deep and intimate relationship with God.
"Let us focus on the young men, whom we see are the Warriors. They are strong (or valiant), the Word of God lives in them, and they have overcome the evil one. That's good. To cultivate this in a young man (and in ourselves as older men), it might help to think along three lines: Bravery, Conviction, and an Epic Story."
These three things are essential for a Warrior. He has to be brave and courageous, it's the only way he'll take any risk at all, and it's the only way he'll survive the battle. A man must have convictions that he lives by, otherwise his life will end up a mess. I read a quote a couple of weeks ago that said, "A man will follow his own convictions to his death, but he'll only follow another man's convictions until he steps in manure." Conviction decides what hills you're willing to die on, and bravery is what enables you to hold your ground on those hills. And all of this is lost without an Epic Story. What need is there for bravery if you aren't living for something bigger than yourself? Where do your convictions come from if this is all there is? For this to make sense, there has to be something bigger involved.
"Raising a young man to be brave is essential. And I may add, there are many types of bravery- physical, emotional, and spiritual... Physical bravery is cultivated in great part by adventure, and sports, by intentionally putting yourself in dangerous situations. As he grows, the adventures of the Cowboy Ranger stage become more serious, and they provide a context for the Warrior to be roused in him." Adventure is essential. If the Cowboy stage is all work and no play, valuable battle preparation is lost.
"Emotional bravery is developed in most cases of physical bravery, for he will have to master fear, but it is also formed when a young man takes risks in relationships. It might mean risking embarrassment by making a speech in front of a class, or running for an office. It might mean risking rejection by making a new friend, or confronting a good friend on some issues. It will require him to leave a party when the kids start doing things they shouldn't be doing. He will need emotional bravery in large measure when he enters into marriage... The important thing in cultivating emotional bravery is helping the boy learn not to quit, teaching him to rise above setbacks and heartbreaks." This is where we learn grit and perseverance. It's where the hard work comes in. You learn to keep going, to keep pressing forward. A couple of the quotes to the left capture this really well.
"Rise and rise again until lambs become lions."
"Your heart is free. Have the courage to follow it."
"But it ain't about how hard you hit. It's about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward; how much you can take and keep moving forward. that's how winning is done!"
A man must develop this perseverance, otherwise he'll give up every time something gets too hard.
"Spiritual bravery is cultivated when we take risks of faith. This is the greatest bravery, as far as I'm concerned... It begins with simple things, like risking to ask God for something in prayer - for if God does not answer, what is the young man to do? He must persevere, hold fast, not give up so easily. He must guard his heart against the Accuser. The breakthrough might come later, or in answer to a different prayer, in a different situation. He must be encouraged to take a stand for his faith. He must be taught to confront the evil one, as Jesus did in the wilderness, and to command him to flee when he is under spiritual attack."
A man must be brave and confident to go before God, and to have the faith to continue to trust God when the answer is "No." or "Not yet." If he knows that he is the Beloved Son, I think that helps tremendously, because though he might not get the answer he was hoping for, he knows that above all the Father loves him and has his best interest at heart. I think the spiritual bravery is the root of both physical and emotional. Knowing who he is in God gives him a confidence to put himself out there emotionally, and enables him to do what is right. Knowing that on the other side of this life is eternal life will give him physical bravery. He won't be afraid to die because he knows the Father is waiting on the other side to welcome him for his service in battle.
"Developing a brave heart comes down to this - wherever the boy is frightened, wherever you see a hesitancy or uncertainty in him, gently take him there, over time, and help him conquer his fear... That's the place you want to lead your son to. And that is the place we want to come to ourselves, as we learn to press through our own fears. I believe it is why God continues to take us into situations that arouse fear in us. The enemy would say we've blown it, or that we've been abandoned; the Father says, 'You can do this - play the man.' This is how courage is developed."
I think of the words God spoke to Joshua as he prepared to lead the people across the Jordan to conquer the Promised Land, "Be strong and courageous, for you shall give this people possession of the land which I swore to their fathers to give them. Only be strong and very courageous; be careful to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, so that you may have success wherever you go. This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it; for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have success. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous! Do not tremble or be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go" (Joshua 1.6-9).
Be strong and courageous, Warriors of God.
"Iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another."
To God alone be the Glory!
Strength and Honor
These verses show us a glimpse of each of the stages of the masculine journey. Becoming Beloved Sons when our sins are forgiven and coming to really know the Father. Cowboys and Warriors who are strong and overcome the enemy. Lovers, Kings, and Sages, who have a deep and intimate relationship with God.
"Let us focus on the young men, whom we see are the Warriors. They are strong (or valiant), the Word of God lives in them, and they have overcome the evil one. That's good. To cultivate this in a young man (and in ourselves as older men), it might help to think along three lines: Bravery, Conviction, and an Epic Story."
These three things are essential for a Warrior. He has to be brave and courageous, it's the only way he'll take any risk at all, and it's the only way he'll survive the battle. A man must have convictions that he lives by, otherwise his life will end up a mess. I read a quote a couple of weeks ago that said, "A man will follow his own convictions to his death, but he'll only follow another man's convictions until he steps in manure." Conviction decides what hills you're willing to die on, and bravery is what enables you to hold your ground on those hills. And all of this is lost without an Epic Story. What need is there for bravery if you aren't living for something bigger than yourself? Where do your convictions come from if this is all there is? For this to make sense, there has to be something bigger involved.
"Raising a young man to be brave is essential. And I may add, there are many types of bravery- physical, emotional, and spiritual... Physical bravery is cultivated in great part by adventure, and sports, by intentionally putting yourself in dangerous situations. As he grows, the adventures of the Cowboy Ranger stage become more serious, and they provide a context for the Warrior to be roused in him." Adventure is essential. If the Cowboy stage is all work and no play, valuable battle preparation is lost.
"Emotional bravery is developed in most cases of physical bravery, for he will have to master fear, but it is also formed when a young man takes risks in relationships. It might mean risking embarrassment by making a speech in front of a class, or running for an office. It might mean risking rejection by making a new friend, or confronting a good friend on some issues. It will require him to leave a party when the kids start doing things they shouldn't be doing. He will need emotional bravery in large measure when he enters into marriage... The important thing in cultivating emotional bravery is helping the boy learn not to quit, teaching him to rise above setbacks and heartbreaks." This is where we learn grit and perseverance. It's where the hard work comes in. You learn to keep going, to keep pressing forward. A couple of the quotes to the left capture this really well.
"Rise and rise again until lambs become lions."
"Your heart is free. Have the courage to follow it."
"But it ain't about how hard you hit. It's about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward; how much you can take and keep moving forward. that's how winning is done!"
A man must develop this perseverance, otherwise he'll give up every time something gets too hard.
"Spiritual bravery is cultivated when we take risks of faith. This is the greatest bravery, as far as I'm concerned... It begins with simple things, like risking to ask God for something in prayer - for if God does not answer, what is the young man to do? He must persevere, hold fast, not give up so easily. He must guard his heart against the Accuser. The breakthrough might come later, or in answer to a different prayer, in a different situation. He must be encouraged to take a stand for his faith. He must be taught to confront the evil one, as Jesus did in the wilderness, and to command him to flee when he is under spiritual attack."
A man must be brave and confident to go before God, and to have the faith to continue to trust God when the answer is "No." or "Not yet." If he knows that he is the Beloved Son, I think that helps tremendously, because though he might not get the answer he was hoping for, he knows that above all the Father loves him and has his best interest at heart. I think the spiritual bravery is the root of both physical and emotional. Knowing who he is in God gives him a confidence to put himself out there emotionally, and enables him to do what is right. Knowing that on the other side of this life is eternal life will give him physical bravery. He won't be afraid to die because he knows the Father is waiting on the other side to welcome him for his service in battle.
"Developing a brave heart comes down to this - wherever the boy is frightened, wherever you see a hesitancy or uncertainty in him, gently take him there, over time, and help him conquer his fear... That's the place you want to lead your son to. And that is the place we want to come to ourselves, as we learn to press through our own fears. I believe it is why God continues to take us into situations that arouse fear in us. The enemy would say we've blown it, or that we've been abandoned; the Father says, 'You can do this - play the man.' This is how courage is developed."
I think of the words God spoke to Joshua as he prepared to lead the people across the Jordan to conquer the Promised Land, "Be strong and courageous, for you shall give this people possession of the land which I swore to their fathers to give them. Only be strong and very courageous; be careful to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, so that you may have success wherever you go. This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it; for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have success. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous! Do not tremble or be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go" (Joshua 1.6-9).
Be strong and courageous, Warriors of God.
"Iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another."
To God alone be the Glory!
Strength and Honor
Tuesday, October 15, 2013
The Way of the Wild Heart, Chapter 9: Raising the Warrior, part 1
Think back to the last "Man Movie" you watched, for me it's been a while, I might have to throw in Gladiator tonight. But most likely, in that movie there was some sort of training that went on. In the opening paragraphs of this chapter John shares a scene from early in Kingdom of Heaven where Godfrey, the father, has been joined on a the road to Jerusalem by his son Balian. At camp in the woods the father begins to train his son to use a sword. "The Warrior is being called out, trained for battle... This is what we long for."
Deep inside all of us, we long for moments like that, and it's why we love watching them so much. We long to be trained and strengthened so that we can join the battle. That's what warriors do, and the warrior is hardwired into who we are as men. The time of the Cowboy is about adventure and hard work, and both of those prepare us for, and lead us into, the stage of the Warrior. "The shift begins when we accept a new way of looking at the world, and our place in it. We are at war, and our Father and elder Brother are great Warriors, and much of what we encounter is in fact either our Warrior training or a battle we must fight, or, most often, both at the same time."
It's crucial that we set aside the Cowboy and move on to becoming Warriors. The war won't go away just because we ignore it and refuse to fight, evil will just have the opportunity to destroy more that is good and pure. We must become who we were born to be. "You don't have to put the Warrior in a boy - it's there, hardwired into him."
"You might see the Warrior emerging as a boy makes weapons out of anything he can get his hands on... You might see the Warrior emerge in a quieter boy through a game of chess, or Scrabble, just as fiercely... a boy's heroes are almost always warriors - Spider-Man, Batman, the Jedi, army men, the samurai. Yes, some boys seem to have more Warrior in them than others, but if we believe gender runs deep (as Genesis 1 implies), and if we believe a man is made in the image of a Warrior God, then we will find the Warrior if we look for it, and then we must be intentional to encourage it and direct it into maturity."
I haven't really put words to it before now, but my younger brother and I fit the two sides of this spectrum. I make (present tense) weapons out of anything I can get my hands on. I was a wrestler and weight lifter. My little brother on the other hand doesn't do stuff like that. He played organized sports for a while but has since given them up. I don't recall him ever making weapons, or come to think of it, playing with the toy ones I had when I was younger (ok, still do have some of them). But he's part of the academic challenge team, and you've got to be crazy to want to play any sort of board game with him. When I wrestled, and really got comfortable with my style, I didn't go for the pin, I went after guys and worked to score as many points as I possibly could. I wanted the technical fall, where you win by 15 points. When it comes to board games my little brother doesn't want to just win, he wants to destroy you completely. Both are the warrior emerging, and it must be encouraged to come out.
"When the boy is young, encouraging the Warrior is pretty simple: just don't shut it down. Wrestle with him, often, play games with him and let him win. Not all the time - he needs to know Dad is still a strong man to be respected. But more often than not, let him triumph. He'll want to play Warrior games like cowboys and Indians - go for it. Jump in. Snowball fights, pillow fights - heck, he'll come up with all this stuff. You just go with it. Provide him with Warrior stories. There are plenty in the Bible, and those will capture the imagination of the boy, show him that God is exactly the kind of King he's looking for. (A Christianity of 'just be a nice boy' has emasculated many a man, and it will not capture the heart of a boy.) The books and movies you choose - make sure they have noble Warriors in them... Let him dress up as a Warrior - Batman costumes, camo, Jedi knight. Let him destroy stuff... It's a release of sorts, and permission to be fierce in a way that doesn't do inappropriate damage. Now, if a boy is knocking down his brother, or terrorizing the dog, that's a different story, that's where we want to teach him self-restraint and respect for others... you have a strength, and it is good. Use it well. Let the boy blow stuff up. Let him play with weapons."
Let it happen, encourage it. These are training opportunities, take advantage of them. Encourage the Warrior, and show him how to be one. Let him know that it's ok, and more importantly, that it's essential. But he must also know that there is responsibility that comes with this, and that is why he must be trained to use it correctly. Shape him into the noble Warrior who stands for truth against evil.
As I said, my brother and I are different. "Some boys lean more toward a quite side, and that's okay. Just don't encourage passivity; lead him out... You can cultivate this in any boy. And for that matter, if a boy tends toward violence, you'll want to watch that as well, channeling the Warrior into safer grounds like sports, perhaps a punching bag in the basement... Give it a place." Every boy is a Warrior needing to be trained. Show him that his strength is good, that aggression is needed. Teach him control and channel it so that it is used properly. Train him.
"In the Cowboy Ranger stage, we seek to answer the Question: Do I have what it takes? In the Warrior stage, there is a new lesson to be learned: You are dangerous and powerful. Use it for good.
"Iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another."
To God alone be the Glory!
Strength and Honor
Deep inside all of us, we long for moments like that, and it's why we love watching them so much. We long to be trained and strengthened so that we can join the battle. That's what warriors do, and the warrior is hardwired into who we are as men. The time of the Cowboy is about adventure and hard work, and both of those prepare us for, and lead us into, the stage of the Warrior. "The shift begins when we accept a new way of looking at the world, and our place in it. We are at war, and our Father and elder Brother are great Warriors, and much of what we encounter is in fact either our Warrior training or a battle we must fight, or, most often, both at the same time."
It's crucial that we set aside the Cowboy and move on to becoming Warriors. The war won't go away just because we ignore it and refuse to fight, evil will just have the opportunity to destroy more that is good and pure. We must become who we were born to be. "You don't have to put the Warrior in a boy - it's there, hardwired into him."
"You might see the Warrior emerging as a boy makes weapons out of anything he can get his hands on... You might see the Warrior emerge in a quieter boy through a game of chess, or Scrabble, just as fiercely... a boy's heroes are almost always warriors - Spider-Man, Batman, the Jedi, army men, the samurai. Yes, some boys seem to have more Warrior in them than others, but if we believe gender runs deep (as Genesis 1 implies), and if we believe a man is made in the image of a Warrior God, then we will find the Warrior if we look for it, and then we must be intentional to encourage it and direct it into maturity."
I haven't really put words to it before now, but my younger brother and I fit the two sides of this spectrum. I make (present tense) weapons out of anything I can get my hands on. I was a wrestler and weight lifter. My little brother on the other hand doesn't do stuff like that. He played organized sports for a while but has since given them up. I don't recall him ever making weapons, or come to think of it, playing with the toy ones I had when I was younger (ok, still do have some of them). But he's part of the academic challenge team, and you've got to be crazy to want to play any sort of board game with him. When I wrestled, and really got comfortable with my style, I didn't go for the pin, I went after guys and worked to score as many points as I possibly could. I wanted the technical fall, where you win by 15 points. When it comes to board games my little brother doesn't want to just win, he wants to destroy you completely. Both are the warrior emerging, and it must be encouraged to come out.
"When the boy is young, encouraging the Warrior is pretty simple: just don't shut it down. Wrestle with him, often, play games with him and let him win. Not all the time - he needs to know Dad is still a strong man to be respected. But more often than not, let him triumph. He'll want to play Warrior games like cowboys and Indians - go for it. Jump in. Snowball fights, pillow fights - heck, he'll come up with all this stuff. You just go with it. Provide him with Warrior stories. There are plenty in the Bible, and those will capture the imagination of the boy, show him that God is exactly the kind of King he's looking for. (A Christianity of 'just be a nice boy' has emasculated many a man, and it will not capture the heart of a boy.) The books and movies you choose - make sure they have noble Warriors in them... Let him dress up as a Warrior - Batman costumes, camo, Jedi knight. Let him destroy stuff... It's a release of sorts, and permission to be fierce in a way that doesn't do inappropriate damage. Now, if a boy is knocking down his brother, or terrorizing the dog, that's a different story, that's where we want to teach him self-restraint and respect for others... you have a strength, and it is good. Use it well. Let the boy blow stuff up. Let him play with weapons."
Let it happen, encourage it. These are training opportunities, take advantage of them. Encourage the Warrior, and show him how to be one. Let him know that it's ok, and more importantly, that it's essential. But he must also know that there is responsibility that comes with this, and that is why he must be trained to use it correctly. Shape him into the noble Warrior who stands for truth against evil.
As I said, my brother and I are different. "Some boys lean more toward a quite side, and that's okay. Just don't encourage passivity; lead him out... You can cultivate this in any boy. And for that matter, if a boy tends toward violence, you'll want to watch that as well, channeling the Warrior into safer grounds like sports, perhaps a punching bag in the basement... Give it a place." Every boy is a Warrior needing to be trained. Show him that his strength is good, that aggression is needed. Teach him control and channel it so that it is used properly. Train him.
"In the Cowboy Ranger stage, we seek to answer the Question: Do I have what it takes? In the Warrior stage, there is a new lesson to be learned: You are dangerous and powerful. Use it for good.
"Iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another."
To God alone be the Glory!
Strength and Honor
Friday, October 11, 2013
The Way of the Wild Heart, Chapter 8: Warrior, part 4
As with any stage of the masculine journey, we must face the reality of wounds. Even warriors, a symbol of strength and power, courage and resilience, are not immune to wounds.
"The heart of the Warrior is wounded in a boy and in a young man when he is told that aggression is flat-out wrong, unchristian, that niceness equals godliness. He is wounded when his attempts to rise up as a Warrior are mocked, or crushed. He is wounded when he has no one to train him, no king to give his allegiance to and no cause to fight for... The heart of the Warrior is wounded in a young man when he attempts to be a Warrior and is shamed."
How many of us have been taken out by one of these wounds? I've felt my attempts be crushed and felt as if I've had no king or cause. It's disheartening to feel completely alone, and it's the thing that has made me feel like giving up more than anything. And it doesn't help when the people you thought cared offer criticism that kicks you while you're down instead of a hand to help you up. When failure is met with no encouragement what is a young warrior to think of himself?
I shared in a recent post my experience of ministry over the past few years. I'm not going to go over it all again, but that experience was extremely wounding. For the past year I've wondered a lot if I'm ever going to get another chance. I've wondered if any king will be willing to give a wounded warrior another chance to fight. It has been difficult to keep going and keep hoping. But in this time I have seen how a king should react, and I have learned what I'm looking for if the chance ever comes. I'm praying it does.
Some of you are in similar positions. You've tried and been knocked down. You feel alone and like a failure, and you're wondering if it's just time to give up and get ready to endure life. Don't give up. I'm not, though I really want to some days. We are warriors, and warriors don't surrender. Keep fighting with me. I have an email address specifically for this blog; you can find it on the left side of the bottom of this page. I've shared bits of my struggles on here, and if I can pray for you or help you please let me know. We are in this together. We have to have each other’s backs and fight side by side.
"Never winning at anything, getting bullied, pushed around, and outright beat up has crushed many a young Warrior's heart, sent him into passivity. 'I’ll never try that again.'... though we don't win every fight there are still things worth fighting for."
A couple years ago I had the chance to help out with the local high schools wrestling team. I remember one day a couple of the bigger buys weren't at practice and so the heavy weight (in high school I think the weight class is 221-285 pounds) had to work out with a kid who weighed somewhere in the 160-170 pound range. Yeah there is a pretty significant weight difference, but if the lighter guy is experienced it might not be that big an issue. Sadly this kid had only been wrestling for a couple of months. I sat on the wall watching him get pushed around and belittled by the heavier guy, and after the drill was over he went and sat on the wall with his head between his knees.
I went over to him, sat next to him, and put my arm around his shoulder. I don't remember exactly what I said to him, but it was something to the effect of, "He put a beating on you, and you kept going back for more and taking it. Great job." He ended up getting a take down on me towards the end of the season, and it was awesome. We have to make sure we take advantage of the opportunities like that. We have to do everything we can to heal wounds the moment they start. We can't prevent all wounds, but if we pay attention we can bring quick healing to some. Sadly there are wounds we'll never know about. Some guys hide there’s out of a sense of shame, or even loyalty, that's what mine were.
"The wound is doubled when the beating comes from his own father, or perhaps an older brother. For that matter, the Warrior is wounded when a boy has to become a fighter too soon, as is the case when his father tells him, 'Don't be such a crybaby' and sends him back out to face a pack of boys who are bullying him, or when he lives in a volatile home where the shouting and anger make it clear that it's every man for himself. Or when he doesn't get to win at anything. My sons love to wrestle, but they would soon lose heart if every time I flipped them over and pinned them. On the other hand, if the father is passive, how will the young man learn to be a Warrior? Nothing rouses anger, frustration, and mounting disrespect in the heart of a boy as does his father's passivity."
If you want your son to be a warrior, he has to see it in you. John mentions The Patriot, and how the father's passivity leads to his sons disrespect and one of their deaths. On the other hand there is a scene early in 300 where we see Leonidas training his son. The Spartans were tough, and their sons were taught to be warriors very early in life. In the scene we the father training his son, but it isn't a harsh and disheartening thing. He gives resistance, but allows the boy to learn and work moves. He doesn't just roll over and give up, but he doesn't push him around and knock him down. If a boy is to be a warrior he must see his father, or another man who steps in to fill in the gap, as one, and be trained to be one as well.
"Finally, the heart of the Warrior is wounded, or abandoned, or sometimes let loose in very bad ways, when the young man does not have a King and a cause to serve." This is the reality for many, many, boys and men today. Because we've lost the initiation ritual there are so few men to guide and train boys. They have strength that is never channeled, the they wander trying to prove themselves in a futile search for meaning. A man needs a mission, a young man needs a leader to follow. Without these two things there is a deep wound that is given.
A king can step in and bring healing to other wounds. He can offer encouragement, and he can channel the strength and passion of a warrior so it can benefit a greater cause. A warrior needs a king. If your father was, or is, absent and there is no other man for you to look to there is still hope. "God is the Master in every stage. He is the Father when we are the Beloved Sons, a he is our King when we are Warriors... Jesus no longer had Joseph around when he entered his Warrior stage. On a human level, he was fatherless. But we know he was no alone. We, too, have a Father who is a great Warrior, and he will raise us as Warriors, if we'll let him, if we will embrace the initiation that comes with this stage. There is a Warrior in you, by the way. However it has been handled up to this point in your life, it can be restored, recovered, and made strong. The promise of Scripture is that the Father is raising us to be sons just like Jesus, meaning, you shall be as valiant as he was."
God has not forgotten or abandoned you. You are not alone. He created you to be a might warrior for Him, and if you will allow Him, He will mold you into it. We are called to be like Christ, and just as the Father initiated Jesus, He desires to initiate us. We need to have the same willingness, the same submission, and the same dependence that we see in Jesus. God will initiate us, be our leader, and give us the greatest cause if we will allow Him.
"Father, show me where I have lost heart as a Warrior. What did I miss here? What was wounded, and what was surrendered? Take me back to those times and places when the Warrior in me was shut down. Awaken and restore the Warrior heart in me. Train me. Show me what I have surrendered, where I am waling in passivity. Teach me an unyielding heart. Rouse me. I am willing. I am yours."
"Iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another."
To God alone be the Glory!
Strength and Honor
"The heart of the Warrior is wounded in a boy and in a young man when he is told that aggression is flat-out wrong, unchristian, that niceness equals godliness. He is wounded when his attempts to rise up as a Warrior are mocked, or crushed. He is wounded when he has no one to train him, no king to give his allegiance to and no cause to fight for... The heart of the Warrior is wounded in a young man when he attempts to be a Warrior and is shamed."
How many of us have been taken out by one of these wounds? I've felt my attempts be crushed and felt as if I've had no king or cause. It's disheartening to feel completely alone, and it's the thing that has made me feel like giving up more than anything. And it doesn't help when the people you thought cared offer criticism that kicks you while you're down instead of a hand to help you up. When failure is met with no encouragement what is a young warrior to think of himself?
I shared in a recent post my experience of ministry over the past few years. I'm not going to go over it all again, but that experience was extremely wounding. For the past year I've wondered a lot if I'm ever going to get another chance. I've wondered if any king will be willing to give a wounded warrior another chance to fight. It has been difficult to keep going and keep hoping. But in this time I have seen how a king should react, and I have learned what I'm looking for if the chance ever comes. I'm praying it does.
Some of you are in similar positions. You've tried and been knocked down. You feel alone and like a failure, and you're wondering if it's just time to give up and get ready to endure life. Don't give up. I'm not, though I really want to some days. We are warriors, and warriors don't surrender. Keep fighting with me. I have an email address specifically for this blog; you can find it on the left side of the bottom of this page. I've shared bits of my struggles on here, and if I can pray for you or help you please let me know. We are in this together. We have to have each other’s backs and fight side by side.
"Never winning at anything, getting bullied, pushed around, and outright beat up has crushed many a young Warrior's heart, sent him into passivity. 'I’ll never try that again.'... though we don't win every fight there are still things worth fighting for."
A couple years ago I had the chance to help out with the local high schools wrestling team. I remember one day a couple of the bigger buys weren't at practice and so the heavy weight (in high school I think the weight class is 221-285 pounds) had to work out with a kid who weighed somewhere in the 160-170 pound range. Yeah there is a pretty significant weight difference, but if the lighter guy is experienced it might not be that big an issue. Sadly this kid had only been wrestling for a couple of months. I sat on the wall watching him get pushed around and belittled by the heavier guy, and after the drill was over he went and sat on the wall with his head between his knees.
I went over to him, sat next to him, and put my arm around his shoulder. I don't remember exactly what I said to him, but it was something to the effect of, "He put a beating on you, and you kept going back for more and taking it. Great job." He ended up getting a take down on me towards the end of the season, and it was awesome. We have to make sure we take advantage of the opportunities like that. We have to do everything we can to heal wounds the moment they start. We can't prevent all wounds, but if we pay attention we can bring quick healing to some. Sadly there are wounds we'll never know about. Some guys hide there’s out of a sense of shame, or even loyalty, that's what mine were.
"The wound is doubled when the beating comes from his own father, or perhaps an older brother. For that matter, the Warrior is wounded when a boy has to become a fighter too soon, as is the case when his father tells him, 'Don't be such a crybaby' and sends him back out to face a pack of boys who are bullying him, or when he lives in a volatile home where the shouting and anger make it clear that it's every man for himself. Or when he doesn't get to win at anything. My sons love to wrestle, but they would soon lose heart if every time I flipped them over and pinned them. On the other hand, if the father is passive, how will the young man learn to be a Warrior? Nothing rouses anger, frustration, and mounting disrespect in the heart of a boy as does his father's passivity."
If you want your son to be a warrior, he has to see it in you. John mentions The Patriot, and how the father's passivity leads to his sons disrespect and one of their deaths. On the other hand there is a scene early in 300 where we see Leonidas training his son. The Spartans were tough, and their sons were taught to be warriors very early in life. In the scene we the father training his son, but it isn't a harsh and disheartening thing. He gives resistance, but allows the boy to learn and work moves. He doesn't just roll over and give up, but he doesn't push him around and knock him down. If a boy is to be a warrior he must see his father, or another man who steps in to fill in the gap, as one, and be trained to be one as well.
"Finally, the heart of the Warrior is wounded, or abandoned, or sometimes let loose in very bad ways, when the young man does not have a King and a cause to serve." This is the reality for many, many, boys and men today. Because we've lost the initiation ritual there are so few men to guide and train boys. They have strength that is never channeled, the they wander trying to prove themselves in a futile search for meaning. A man needs a mission, a young man needs a leader to follow. Without these two things there is a deep wound that is given.
A king can step in and bring healing to other wounds. He can offer encouragement, and he can channel the strength and passion of a warrior so it can benefit a greater cause. A warrior needs a king. If your father was, or is, absent and there is no other man for you to look to there is still hope. "God is the Master in every stage. He is the Father when we are the Beloved Sons, a he is our King when we are Warriors... Jesus no longer had Joseph around when he entered his Warrior stage. On a human level, he was fatherless. But we know he was no alone. We, too, have a Father who is a great Warrior, and he will raise us as Warriors, if we'll let him, if we will embrace the initiation that comes with this stage. There is a Warrior in you, by the way. However it has been handled up to this point in your life, it can be restored, recovered, and made strong. The promise of Scripture is that the Father is raising us to be sons just like Jesus, meaning, you shall be as valiant as he was."
God has not forgotten or abandoned you. You are not alone. He created you to be a might warrior for Him, and if you will allow Him, He will mold you into it. We are called to be like Christ, and just as the Father initiated Jesus, He desires to initiate us. We need to have the same willingness, the same submission, and the same dependence that we see in Jesus. God will initiate us, be our leader, and give us the greatest cause if we will allow Him.
"Father, show me where I have lost heart as a Warrior. What did I miss here? What was wounded, and what was surrendered? Take me back to those times and places when the Warrior in me was shut down. Awaken and restore the Warrior heart in me. Train me. Show me what I have surrendered, where I am waling in passivity. Teach me an unyielding heart. Rouse me. I am willing. I am yours."
"Iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another."
To God alone be the Glory!
Strength and Honor
Thursday, October 10, 2013
The Way of the Wild Heart, Chapter 8: Warrior, part 3
"The warrior is hardwired into every man. This is true because he is made in the image of God, who is the Great Warrior. Like Father, like son. It is true because it constitutes a great part of man's mission here on earth - to join the Great Warrior in his battle against evil. It is this aggressive nature that will enable us to overcome the passivity and paralysis we inherited from Adam. In fact, we are siding with one or the other - the Warrior or the paralyzed man - in every decision we make, every day. Encouraging the Warrior as it begins to come into full force in a young man's life will be a great help to him as the years unfold, for you and I know how hard the battle is if we've spent years in passivity."
If you've spent any time around boys you'll see the warrior in them. No matter what they are doing or playing with, something will become some sort of weapon. Gun, sword, etc. It doesn't matter what it is, it just happens. I still find myself doing this at times. It happens, and it's supposed to. A man is a warrior, don't try to stop it. I remember when I was a child my cousins and I didn't have access to toy guns at one point. They had some toy tools, and so we pretended that the drills were handguns. My aunt yelled at us and told us to stop.
You have the parents who won't allow their children to play with toy weapons because they don't want them to grow up and be violent. Saying no does a lot of harm and it denies a boy the chance to do what he was created to do. Instead, a boy must be taught how to use a weapon properly. He needs to learn that they are dangerous and that they can take life. When I teach my boys to shoot in the future the first lesson they will learn is, "Never point this at something you don't want to kill, and as soon as you squeeze the trigger you are no longer in control of that bullet."
It is crucial that we encourage and train boys to be warriors. He was made for this purpose, and without the encouragement and training he will either be passive or violent. We can train boys and help them find their place in the epic story, or fail them and let them wander unsure through life and wind up like the scribe in Gladiator. Do you want your son to be the scribe or Maximus? Who do you want to be?
"The heart of the Warrior says, 'I will not let evil have its way. There are some things that cannot be endured. I've got to do something. There is freedom to be had.' The heart of the Warrior says, 'I will put myself on the line for you.' That is why it must come before the Lover stage, for he will need to do that time and time again in his marriage, and it is passivity that has broken the heart of many women. The Warrior nature is fierce, and brave, ready to confront evil, ready to go into battle. This is the time for a young mane to stop saying, 'Why is life so hard?' He takes the hardness as the call to fight, to rise up, take it on. He learns to 'set his face like a fling.' as Jesus had to do to fulfill his life's great mission."
A young man must be taught to stand up to evil, and in order for him to have the courage to do so, he must be trained and prepared for the hardships. He must have a warrior’s heart. And standing up to evil isn't an easy task. If he does, it's going to be difficult and full of hardships. That's why he must be a warrior. "How much hardship a man will endure, how long and tenaciously he will persevere is determined by the amount of Warrior within him."
Two things come to my mind from the Rocky movies when I read that. One comes from Rocky IV, as the plane lands in Russia there is a song playing, and the second verse contains these words:
In the warriors code there's no surrender
Though his body says stop his spirit cries - never!
Deep in our soul a quiet ember knows it's you against you
It's the paradox that drives us on
It's a battle of wills
In the heat of attack it's the passion that kills
The victory is yours alone
It's one of those songs I love to run/work out to. That mentality of I can, and will, push through this. "The time of the Warrior is the time of learning discipline, a concentration of body, mind, and spirit... when all hell breaks loose on the battlefield, a man has to have something to fall back on other than emotion. Spirits are high before you actually meet the enemy, but in the chaos of warfare high spirits can vanish in an instant." A warrior must be self-disciplined if he is going to survive and be victorious. He must never surrender and constantly push himself forward.
The second thing that I think of is from Rocky Balbo. "Let me tell you something you already know. The world ain’t all sunshine and rainbows. It’s a very mean and nasty place, and I don’t care how tough you are, it will beat you to your knees and keep you there permanently if you let it. You, me, or nobody is gonna hit as hard as life. But it ain’t about how hard you hit. It’s about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward; how much you can take and keep moving forward. That’s how winning is done! Now, if you know what you’re worth, then go out and get what you’re worth. But you gotta be willing to take the hits, and not pointing fingers saying you ain’t where you wanna be because of him, or her, or anybody. Cowards do that and that ain’t you. You’re better than that!"
"The church has largely presented discipline as 'kill your heart and just do the right things.' That is terrible. It wearies the soul, and ends up destroying the heart - the very faculty you will need in the face of great trial and testing. Good discipline harnesses the passions, rather than killing them... A young man will need this strength of heart, whether to finish his PhD, or to hold fast his convictions under persecution, or to master an art form - all of which take great discipline, fueled by passion."
Without his heart and passions, a warrior cannot survive. Proverbs 18.14 says, "The spirit of a man can endure his sickness, but as for a broken spirit who can bear it?" Proverbs 17.22 tells us, "A joyful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit dries up the bones." Nothing will suck the life out of you faster than having no passion, no goal, no drive. There are days that the only thing that keeps me going is my hope for the future, my belief, however faint it may be, that things will get better. The warrior must be determined, and never surrender his heart of his passion.
One final thought from Rocky. In Rocky III we hear the song "Eye of the Tiger", another one that's a personal preference for physical activity. We find these words in the verses:
Rising up, back on the street
Did my time, took my chances
Went the distance, now I'm back on my feet
Just a man and his will to survive
So many times it happens too fast
You change your passion for glory
Don't lose your grip on the dreams of the past
You must fight just to keep them alive
...
Face to face, out in the heat
Hanging tough, staying hungry
They stack the odds 'til we take to the street
For the kill with the skill to survive
...
Rising up, straight to the top
Had the guts, got the glory
Went the distance, now I'm not going to stop
Just a man and his will to survive
"This is absolutely essential to the Warrior, to develop an unyielding heart. This is where we will be most profoundly tested... I will not yield, I will not be a quitter - that is the Warrior coming out... The Warrior must learn to yield his heart to nothing. Not to kill his heart for fear of falling into temptation, but to protect his heart for more noble things, to keep the integrity of his heart as a great reservoir of passionate strength and holy desire."
I didn't realize that this was going to be so long when I started writing today, and as I've written my heart has been stirring. Yes, life is insanely hard right now, and nothing is ideal. As soon as things seem to be falling into place, something comes along to knock us back down. I've been ready to give up so many times, but I haven't, a big part of it is because of the responsibility I have to my wife. I'm in the middle of a battle right now. The world has knocked me to my knees and is trying to do everything it can to keep me there. Honestly, I'm tired of trying to get back up. Part of me wants to just curl up and take the hits until it’s over, but that's not what a warrior does. And eventually, I'll get up and the tables will turn.
"By the way - there is a place for comfort in the masculine journey, a place for mercy and rest and being ministered to. It's not all trial and test and battle, not by any means. It's just that most often, good comfort comes after the fight, and is so much more enjoyable in this way. One of the spoils of war."
The battle will end, but not without a fight. We are warriors, and warriors endure to victory.
"Iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another."
To God alone be the Glory!
Strength and Honor
If you've spent any time around boys you'll see the warrior in them. No matter what they are doing or playing with, something will become some sort of weapon. Gun, sword, etc. It doesn't matter what it is, it just happens. I still find myself doing this at times. It happens, and it's supposed to. A man is a warrior, don't try to stop it. I remember when I was a child my cousins and I didn't have access to toy guns at one point. They had some toy tools, and so we pretended that the drills were handguns. My aunt yelled at us and told us to stop.
You have the parents who won't allow their children to play with toy weapons because they don't want them to grow up and be violent. Saying no does a lot of harm and it denies a boy the chance to do what he was created to do. Instead, a boy must be taught how to use a weapon properly. He needs to learn that they are dangerous and that they can take life. When I teach my boys to shoot in the future the first lesson they will learn is, "Never point this at something you don't want to kill, and as soon as you squeeze the trigger you are no longer in control of that bullet."
It is crucial that we encourage and train boys to be warriors. He was made for this purpose, and without the encouragement and training he will either be passive or violent. We can train boys and help them find their place in the epic story, or fail them and let them wander unsure through life and wind up like the scribe in Gladiator. Do you want your son to be the scribe or Maximus? Who do you want to be?
"The heart of the Warrior says, 'I will not let evil have its way. There are some things that cannot be endured. I've got to do something. There is freedom to be had.' The heart of the Warrior says, 'I will put myself on the line for you.' That is why it must come before the Lover stage, for he will need to do that time and time again in his marriage, and it is passivity that has broken the heart of many women. The Warrior nature is fierce, and brave, ready to confront evil, ready to go into battle. This is the time for a young mane to stop saying, 'Why is life so hard?' He takes the hardness as the call to fight, to rise up, take it on. He learns to 'set his face like a fling.' as Jesus had to do to fulfill his life's great mission."
A young man must be taught to stand up to evil, and in order for him to have the courage to do so, he must be trained and prepared for the hardships. He must have a warrior’s heart. And standing up to evil isn't an easy task. If he does, it's going to be difficult and full of hardships. That's why he must be a warrior. "How much hardship a man will endure, how long and tenaciously he will persevere is determined by the amount of Warrior within him."
Two things come to my mind from the Rocky movies when I read that. One comes from Rocky IV, as the plane lands in Russia there is a song playing, and the second verse contains these words:
In the warriors code there's no surrender
Though his body says stop his spirit cries - never!
Deep in our soul a quiet ember knows it's you against you
It's the paradox that drives us on
It's a battle of wills
In the heat of attack it's the passion that kills
The victory is yours alone
It's one of those songs I love to run/work out to. That mentality of I can, and will, push through this. "The time of the Warrior is the time of learning discipline, a concentration of body, mind, and spirit... when all hell breaks loose on the battlefield, a man has to have something to fall back on other than emotion. Spirits are high before you actually meet the enemy, but in the chaos of warfare high spirits can vanish in an instant." A warrior must be self-disciplined if he is going to survive and be victorious. He must never surrender and constantly push himself forward.
The second thing that I think of is from Rocky Balbo. "Let me tell you something you already know. The world ain’t all sunshine and rainbows. It’s a very mean and nasty place, and I don’t care how tough you are, it will beat you to your knees and keep you there permanently if you let it. You, me, or nobody is gonna hit as hard as life. But it ain’t about how hard you hit. It’s about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward; how much you can take and keep moving forward. That’s how winning is done! Now, if you know what you’re worth, then go out and get what you’re worth. But you gotta be willing to take the hits, and not pointing fingers saying you ain’t where you wanna be because of him, or her, or anybody. Cowards do that and that ain’t you. You’re better than that!"
"The church has largely presented discipline as 'kill your heart and just do the right things.' That is terrible. It wearies the soul, and ends up destroying the heart - the very faculty you will need in the face of great trial and testing. Good discipline harnesses the passions, rather than killing them... A young man will need this strength of heart, whether to finish his PhD, or to hold fast his convictions under persecution, or to master an art form - all of which take great discipline, fueled by passion."
Without his heart and passions, a warrior cannot survive. Proverbs 18.14 says, "The spirit of a man can endure his sickness, but as for a broken spirit who can bear it?" Proverbs 17.22 tells us, "A joyful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit dries up the bones." Nothing will suck the life out of you faster than having no passion, no goal, no drive. There are days that the only thing that keeps me going is my hope for the future, my belief, however faint it may be, that things will get better. The warrior must be determined, and never surrender his heart of his passion.
One final thought from Rocky. In Rocky III we hear the song "Eye of the Tiger", another one that's a personal preference for physical activity. We find these words in the verses:
Rising up, back on the street
Did my time, took my chances
Went the distance, now I'm back on my feet
Just a man and his will to survive
So many times it happens too fast
You change your passion for glory
Don't lose your grip on the dreams of the past
You must fight just to keep them alive
...
Face to face, out in the heat
Hanging tough, staying hungry
They stack the odds 'til we take to the street
For the kill with the skill to survive
...
Rising up, straight to the top
Had the guts, got the glory
Went the distance, now I'm not going to stop
Just a man and his will to survive
"This is absolutely essential to the Warrior, to develop an unyielding heart. This is where we will be most profoundly tested... I will not yield, I will not be a quitter - that is the Warrior coming out... The Warrior must learn to yield his heart to nothing. Not to kill his heart for fear of falling into temptation, but to protect his heart for more noble things, to keep the integrity of his heart as a great reservoir of passionate strength and holy desire."
I didn't realize that this was going to be so long when I started writing today, and as I've written my heart has been stirring. Yes, life is insanely hard right now, and nothing is ideal. As soon as things seem to be falling into place, something comes along to knock us back down. I've been ready to give up so many times, but I haven't, a big part of it is because of the responsibility I have to my wife. I'm in the middle of a battle right now. The world has knocked me to my knees and is trying to do everything it can to keep me there. Honestly, I'm tired of trying to get back up. Part of me wants to just curl up and take the hits until it’s over, but that's not what a warrior does. And eventually, I'll get up and the tables will turn.
"By the way - there is a place for comfort in the masculine journey, a place for mercy and rest and being ministered to. It's not all trial and test and battle, not by any means. It's just that most often, good comfort comes after the fight, and is so much more enjoyable in this way. One of the spoils of war."
The battle will end, but not without a fight. We are warriors, and warriors endure to victory.
"Iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another."
To God alone be the Glory!
Strength and Honor
Wednesday, October 9, 2013
The Way of the Wild Heart, Chapter 8: Warrior, part 2
Man was made to be a warrior. Sadly, for thousands of years, many have refused. John mentions Israel's refusal to take the Promised Land after the spies bring back the report of giants and walled cities. They have seen God work wonders as He brought them out of Egypt, led them through the Red Sea, and then provided for them in the desert, but when the time comes to grab hold of His promise, they shrink from the call, and refuse to play their part.
"Their decision not to fight is what led to their wandering in the wilderness for forty years. We often cite that part of the story, talking about our own wilderness experiences, embracing the wilderness saga as if it were inevitable. No, that is not the lesson at all. We have forgotten it was avoidable. The reason they took the lamentable detour into the wilderness was because they would not fight. To be more precise, the wilderness was a punishment, the consequence of refusing to trust God, and fight."
Writing that makes me wonder about my current circumstances. Am I where I am because I've failed to fight for something? Am I stuck here because there is a battle I'm refusing to fight? Am I failing, or refusing, to be the warrior?
The reaction of Israel is one that we can see time and time again. Yes, war is a terrible thing, but hating it and saying we shouldn't get involved in one doesn't change the reality that it is out there. And yet that is what we try to do time and again. "What is it in human nature that just won't face the reality of war?" I remember a message a friend of mine gave a little over a year ago from Luke 14. He ended with verses 31 and 32, "Or what king, when he sets out to meet another king in battle, will not first sit down and consider whether he is strong enough with ten thousand men to encounter the one coming against him with twenty thousand? Or else, while the other is still far away, he sends a delegation and asks for terms of peace." After the service we talked and I pointed out that the king has only two options, fight or negotiate for peace, because the war is coming to him. And by the way, there is no shame in negotiating for peace, it takes the strength of a warrior to be able to do that as well.
"We live in a world at war. We are supposed to fight back. It is apparently a difficult reality to embrace, as witnessed by the passivity that marks much of modern Christianity. We just want the Christian life to be all about the sweet love of Jesus. But that is not what's going on here. You may not like the situation, but that only makes it unattractive - it does not make it untrue."
We live in a world at war, and when we do fail it is due to passivity. Since the beginning that has been the case, and it is passivity that got us into this whole mess to begin with. Eve was deceived by the serpent, and then as we see in Genesis 3.6, "When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was desirable to make one wise, she took from its fruit and ate; and she gave also to her husband with her, and he ate." Adam was right there watching, and he failed to play the warrior.
"Adam doesn’t engage, doesn't intervene, doesn't do a damn thing. He is created to act, endowed with the image of a mighty God who acts and intervenes dramatically. Adam did not, and whatever else got passed on to us men from the first man, we know that paralysis - another word for passivity - is certainly one of them... It is essential that a man overcome this inherent passivity, this paralysis we got from Adam that lies deep in our bones. To be a man we must, with the help of God, overcome it intentionally, repeatedly, on front after front across the season of our lives."
There is part of us that wants to take the easy way, that wants to run and hide. But that's also the part that makes us sick to our stomachs. It’s because deep down we know we were made to stand and fight. We know deep down that if something good is going to be protected we're the ones who have to fight for it. We know deep down that if evil wants to advance it has to do it over our dead bodies.
"The assumption is that whatever else a man might be, he ought to be a fighter. I noticed this assumption in the rosters of the tribes of Israel as they came out of Egypt. The families and clans are arranged and numbered as fighting men (Num. 1). And remember - these are not trained soldiers, but runaway slaves. I doubt any of them had held a weapon in his life, yet it is assumed that if he's a man, he's a fighting man. Given who and what he is, Scripture assumes that a man acts, a man intervenes. Passivity has no place in the lexicon of true masculinity. None. And to overcome passivity, God has set his warrior heart in every man."
In my book next to that paragraph I have a verse reference written, 1 Corinthians 16.13-14. "Be on the alert, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong. Let all that you do be done in love." You might have seen it in the quotes section to the left. We are to act like men and be strong. We are to stand firm and alert, never letting evil advance. That is the role a man is created for. And there is the reminder that everything we do is to be done in love. Jesus said that the greatest love anyone can show is to lay down his life for his friends (John 15.13). It takes a warrior to do that. Every man dies, but not every man lays his life down.
God created us to be warriors who act, and He has given us His warrior heart. "Your heart is free. Have the courage to follow it." You were made to be a warrior. "Be on the alert, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong."
"Iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another."
To God alone be the Glory!
Strength and Honor
"Their decision not to fight is what led to their wandering in the wilderness for forty years. We often cite that part of the story, talking about our own wilderness experiences, embracing the wilderness saga as if it were inevitable. No, that is not the lesson at all. We have forgotten it was avoidable. The reason they took the lamentable detour into the wilderness was because they would not fight. To be more precise, the wilderness was a punishment, the consequence of refusing to trust God, and fight."
Writing that makes me wonder about my current circumstances. Am I where I am because I've failed to fight for something? Am I stuck here because there is a battle I'm refusing to fight? Am I failing, or refusing, to be the warrior?
The reaction of Israel is one that we can see time and time again. Yes, war is a terrible thing, but hating it and saying we shouldn't get involved in one doesn't change the reality that it is out there. And yet that is what we try to do time and again. "What is it in human nature that just won't face the reality of war?" I remember a message a friend of mine gave a little over a year ago from Luke 14. He ended with verses 31 and 32, "Or what king, when he sets out to meet another king in battle, will not first sit down and consider whether he is strong enough with ten thousand men to encounter the one coming against him with twenty thousand? Or else, while the other is still far away, he sends a delegation and asks for terms of peace." After the service we talked and I pointed out that the king has only two options, fight or negotiate for peace, because the war is coming to him. And by the way, there is no shame in negotiating for peace, it takes the strength of a warrior to be able to do that as well.
"We live in a world at war. We are supposed to fight back. It is apparently a difficult reality to embrace, as witnessed by the passivity that marks much of modern Christianity. We just want the Christian life to be all about the sweet love of Jesus. But that is not what's going on here. You may not like the situation, but that only makes it unattractive - it does not make it untrue."
We live in a world at war, and when we do fail it is due to passivity. Since the beginning that has been the case, and it is passivity that got us into this whole mess to begin with. Eve was deceived by the serpent, and then as we see in Genesis 3.6, "When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was desirable to make one wise, she took from its fruit and ate; and she gave also to her husband with her, and he ate." Adam was right there watching, and he failed to play the warrior.
"Adam doesn’t engage, doesn't intervene, doesn't do a damn thing. He is created to act, endowed with the image of a mighty God who acts and intervenes dramatically. Adam did not, and whatever else got passed on to us men from the first man, we know that paralysis - another word for passivity - is certainly one of them... It is essential that a man overcome this inherent passivity, this paralysis we got from Adam that lies deep in our bones. To be a man we must, with the help of God, overcome it intentionally, repeatedly, on front after front across the season of our lives."
There is part of us that wants to take the easy way, that wants to run and hide. But that's also the part that makes us sick to our stomachs. It’s because deep down we know we were made to stand and fight. We know deep down that if something good is going to be protected we're the ones who have to fight for it. We know deep down that if evil wants to advance it has to do it over our dead bodies.
"The assumption is that whatever else a man might be, he ought to be a fighter. I noticed this assumption in the rosters of the tribes of Israel as they came out of Egypt. The families and clans are arranged and numbered as fighting men (Num. 1). And remember - these are not trained soldiers, but runaway slaves. I doubt any of them had held a weapon in his life, yet it is assumed that if he's a man, he's a fighting man. Given who and what he is, Scripture assumes that a man acts, a man intervenes. Passivity has no place in the lexicon of true masculinity. None. And to overcome passivity, God has set his warrior heart in every man."
In my book next to that paragraph I have a verse reference written, 1 Corinthians 16.13-14. "Be on the alert, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong. Let all that you do be done in love." You might have seen it in the quotes section to the left. We are to act like men and be strong. We are to stand firm and alert, never letting evil advance. That is the role a man is created for. And there is the reminder that everything we do is to be done in love. Jesus said that the greatest love anyone can show is to lay down his life for his friends (John 15.13). It takes a warrior to do that. Every man dies, but not every man lays his life down.
God created us to be warriors who act, and He has given us His warrior heart. "Your heart is free. Have the courage to follow it." You were made to be a warrior. "Be on the alert, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong."
"Iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another."
To God alone be the Glory!
Strength and Honor
Monday, October 7, 2013
The Way of the Wild Heart, Chapter 8: Warrior, part 1
"It may take time, and require repeated provocation, but eventually a man must come to realize that there are certain things in life worth fighting for. Perhaps, when we appreciate the truth of this, we can better understand the heart of God... Our God is a warrior, mighty and terrible in battle, and he leads armies. It is this God that man is made in the image of. I spoke of this in Wild at Heart, but some things bear repeating, because a man will be in a much better place to enter the stage of the Warrior if he knows this is thoroughly grounded in Scripture, supported by Scripture, compelled by Scripture."
For some reason the Church usually refuses to acknowledge this reality. War and fighting are seen as evil, and while I'll admit the fact that war is a terrible thing, we can't escape the reality that it exists in the world we live in. And because of that we must embrace the truth of Exodus 15.3, "The LORD is a warrior; the LORD is his name."
God stands for truth and justice; He fights for righteousness and holiness. He doesn't back down from a fight, instead He leads His people into battle. "Our God is a Warrior because there are certain things in life worth fighting for, must be fought for. He makes man a Warrior in his own image, because he intends for man to join him in that battle."
Men, we were made for war. We have strength and power so that we can be dangerous on the battlefield. We cannot run from this truth and hide, pretending that it doesn't exist or hoping that it will go away if we ignore it. If we don't take a stand, then we allow evil to trample all that is good.
"There are certain things worth fighting for. A marriage, for example, or the institution of marriage as a whole. Children, whether they are yours or not. Friendships will have to be fought for, as you've discovered by now, and churches, too, which seem bent on destroying themselves if they are not first destroyed by the enemy who hates them... Take anything good, true, or beautiful upon this earth and ask yourself, 'Can this be protected without a fight?'... Sometimes the battle has to strike close to home in order to rouse the Warrior in a man. Perhaps that is why God often allows it to strike so close to home."
What makes you angry? What breaks your heart? What are you going to do about it? Will you take a stand or sit down? Evil is a very real thing, and it has already corrupted so much because men have refused to be warriors. "Evil typically doesn't yield its hold willingly. It must be forced to surrender, or be destroyed." It takes a warrior to fight a battle. Only a warrior can emerge victorious.
Think about Gladiator. In the extended edition of the movie during the scene where Maximus is cutting out his Legionnaire tattoo we learn that one of the slaves is a scribe, he talks about how he can speak seven languages. The next day the gladiators are paired up and sent into the arena, guess who one of the first guys killed is? And guess who survives the battle?
Men, we must embrace the fact that we are made in the image of a warrior God, and called to be warriors fighting at His side. If we don't then we'll just helplessly watch all that is good and beautiful be corrupted and destroyed before we ourselves are killed by the same evil.
The battle rages all around us, lets arm ourselves, and join the fight.
"Iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another."
To God alone be the Glory!
Strength and Honor
For some reason the Church usually refuses to acknowledge this reality. War and fighting are seen as evil, and while I'll admit the fact that war is a terrible thing, we can't escape the reality that it exists in the world we live in. And because of that we must embrace the truth of Exodus 15.3, "The LORD is a warrior; the LORD is his name."
God stands for truth and justice; He fights for righteousness and holiness. He doesn't back down from a fight, instead He leads His people into battle. "Our God is a Warrior because there are certain things in life worth fighting for, must be fought for. He makes man a Warrior in his own image, because he intends for man to join him in that battle."
Men, we were made for war. We have strength and power so that we can be dangerous on the battlefield. We cannot run from this truth and hide, pretending that it doesn't exist or hoping that it will go away if we ignore it. If we don't take a stand, then we allow evil to trample all that is good.
"There are certain things worth fighting for. A marriage, for example, or the institution of marriage as a whole. Children, whether they are yours or not. Friendships will have to be fought for, as you've discovered by now, and churches, too, which seem bent on destroying themselves if they are not first destroyed by the enemy who hates them... Take anything good, true, or beautiful upon this earth and ask yourself, 'Can this be protected without a fight?'... Sometimes the battle has to strike close to home in order to rouse the Warrior in a man. Perhaps that is why God often allows it to strike so close to home."
What makes you angry? What breaks your heart? What are you going to do about it? Will you take a stand or sit down? Evil is a very real thing, and it has already corrupted so much because men have refused to be warriors. "Evil typically doesn't yield its hold willingly. It must be forced to surrender, or be destroyed." It takes a warrior to fight a battle. Only a warrior can emerge victorious.
Think about Gladiator. In the extended edition of the movie during the scene where Maximus is cutting out his Legionnaire tattoo we learn that one of the slaves is a scribe, he talks about how he can speak seven languages. The next day the gladiators are paired up and sent into the arena, guess who one of the first guys killed is? And guess who survives the battle?
Men, we must embrace the fact that we are made in the image of a warrior God, and called to be warriors fighting at His side. If we don't then we'll just helplessly watch all that is good and beautiful be corrupted and destroyed before we ourselves are killed by the same evil.
The battle rages all around us, lets arm ourselves, and join the fight.
"Iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another."
To God alone be the Glory!
Strength and Honor
Tuesday, April 30, 2013
Wild at Heart, Chapter 8: A Battle to Fight: The Enemy, part 3
We are warriors. You are a warrior. And you have enemies that are working to take you out. Be on your guard and ready for the battle. John points out that we will always encounter three enemies, the world, the flesh, and the devil which he says "make up a sort of unholy trinity."
I think these work in a particular order. I think the attack in waves beginning with the one closest at hand, the flesh. This would be the Evil Spirit in the unholy trinity that is against us. This is "that part of fallen Adam in every man that always wants the easiest way out." This is that voice in us, that feeling that says we'll fail, that we aren't enough, not we aren't really warriors at all and have no business on the battlefield to begin with.
But it's important to know that "Your flesh is not the real you." No matter what it would have you believe, this is not who you really are. The thing in you that feels like a constant failure that can do nothing right, is not the real you. It is the traitor inside the walls that is trying to let the enemy outside come in and destroy all life.
The Church has not helped men to overcome this enemy. John points out something I've been saying and thinking for years. You are not just a sinner saved by grace. We've all heard that, many of us have probably said it, but it is a lie, and undoubtedly the biggest lie told in the Church. You are not a sinner saved by grace, your flesh is sinful, but "You are not your sin; sin is no longer the truest thing about the man who has come into union with Jesus. Your heart is good." The flesh is the sinner, but you, the new creation in Christ, are a child of God. You are His beloved son.
"The real you is on the side of God against the false self... your flesh is your false self - the poser, manifest in cowardice and self-preservation - and the only way to deal with it is to crucify it." In order to deal with an enemy we must identify it. We must call it what it is, and then we must execute him for treason. We crucify the flesh, we put it to death. We die to sin and are raised to new life in Christ. And pay attention to this, "we are never, ever told to crucify our heart. We are never told to kill the true man within us, never told to get rid of those deep desires for battle and adventure and beauty. We are told to shoot the traitor."
In Christ, your heart is good. It has been cleansed and sanctified by Him for His work. It has been set free, trained, and called to the front lines. But in order to be effective in battle, we must get rid of the traitor behind the walls. "If you want to grow in true masculine strength, then you must stop sabotaging yours."
John points out that we sabotage our strength, we allow the traitor to live, when we refuse our strength, and when we give it away. We refuse it by running from it, by not using it when it is called upon. We keep silent when we should speak up for truth. We remain seated when we should stand up and face injustice. We give our strength away when we allow ourselves to be bought off. We are bribed or we give in to temptation, and the flesh lives to destroy another day. "A man's addictions are the result of his refusing his strength."
To be men, we must live from our strength. Our strength comes from the good, new heart that is ours in Christ. The flesh, the traitor within the walls, will do whatever he can to prevent that. He will work to convince us that we are weak and worthless; that we have nothing to offer and even if we did, it wouldn't be enough. He will work to convince us that we are nothing but worthless sinners who are nothing without grace. But the truth is, you are a new creation, a beloved son of God, who is powerful, dangerous, and strong. You have strength that the flesh is terrified of because your God given strength is the end of the flesh, and the whole goal of the flesh is self-preservation.
Embrace your strength. Embrace the fact that you are so much more than a sinner who has been saved by grace. Realize that, "For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus" (Philippians 1.6), "for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure" (Philippians 2.13). " But whatever things were gain to me, those things I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ. More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ, and may be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own derived from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith, that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death; in order that I may attain to the resurrection from the dead" (Philippians 3.7-11). And "Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things. The things you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you" (Philippians 4.8-9).
The traitor is dead, one down, two to go.
"Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen." Ephesians 3.20-21
To God alone be the Glory!
Strength and Honor
I think these work in a particular order. I think the attack in waves beginning with the one closest at hand, the flesh. This would be the Evil Spirit in the unholy trinity that is against us. This is "that part of fallen Adam in every man that always wants the easiest way out." This is that voice in us, that feeling that says we'll fail, that we aren't enough, not we aren't really warriors at all and have no business on the battlefield to begin with.
But it's important to know that "Your flesh is not the real you." No matter what it would have you believe, this is not who you really are. The thing in you that feels like a constant failure that can do nothing right, is not the real you. It is the traitor inside the walls that is trying to let the enemy outside come in and destroy all life.
The Church has not helped men to overcome this enemy. John points out something I've been saying and thinking for years. You are not just a sinner saved by grace. We've all heard that, many of us have probably said it, but it is a lie, and undoubtedly the biggest lie told in the Church. You are not a sinner saved by grace, your flesh is sinful, but "You are not your sin; sin is no longer the truest thing about the man who has come into union with Jesus. Your heart is good." The flesh is the sinner, but you, the new creation in Christ, are a child of God. You are His beloved son.
"The real you is on the side of God against the false self... your flesh is your false self - the poser, manifest in cowardice and self-preservation - and the only way to deal with it is to crucify it." In order to deal with an enemy we must identify it. We must call it what it is, and then we must execute him for treason. We crucify the flesh, we put it to death. We die to sin and are raised to new life in Christ. And pay attention to this, "we are never, ever told to crucify our heart. We are never told to kill the true man within us, never told to get rid of those deep desires for battle and adventure and beauty. We are told to shoot the traitor."
In Christ, your heart is good. It has been cleansed and sanctified by Him for His work. It has been set free, trained, and called to the front lines. But in order to be effective in battle, we must get rid of the traitor behind the walls. "If you want to grow in true masculine strength, then you must stop sabotaging yours."
John points out that we sabotage our strength, we allow the traitor to live, when we refuse our strength, and when we give it away. We refuse it by running from it, by not using it when it is called upon. We keep silent when we should speak up for truth. We remain seated when we should stand up and face injustice. We give our strength away when we allow ourselves to be bought off. We are bribed or we give in to temptation, and the flesh lives to destroy another day. "A man's addictions are the result of his refusing his strength."
To be men, we must live from our strength. Our strength comes from the good, new heart that is ours in Christ. The flesh, the traitor within the walls, will do whatever he can to prevent that. He will work to convince us that we are weak and worthless; that we have nothing to offer and even if we did, it wouldn't be enough. He will work to convince us that we are nothing but worthless sinners who are nothing without grace. But the truth is, you are a new creation, a beloved son of God, who is powerful, dangerous, and strong. You have strength that the flesh is terrified of because your God given strength is the end of the flesh, and the whole goal of the flesh is self-preservation.
Embrace your strength. Embrace the fact that you are so much more than a sinner who has been saved by grace. Realize that, "For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus" (Philippians 1.6), "for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure" (Philippians 2.13). " But whatever things were gain to me, those things I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ. More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ, and may be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own derived from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith, that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death; in order that I may attain to the resurrection from the dead" (Philippians 3.7-11). And "Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things. The things you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you" (Philippians 4.8-9).
The traitor is dead, one down, two to go.
"Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen." Ephesians 3.20-21
To God alone be the Glory!
Strength and Honor
Friday, April 26, 2013
Wild at Heart, Chapter 8: A Battle to Fight: The Enemy, part 2
God has called you to the front lines. You have what it takes. You are a warrior. So what does that mean? What is a warrior? For many the idea of combat is probably the first thing that comes to mind. With that comes the notion of strength and courage. Most probably think of someone who is fearless, never backing down from anything or anyone. And some probably think of a loaner who doesn't need anyone else.
Some of these qualities are good and true, others miss the point. John points out two main characteristics of the warrior, two that really sum them all up. A warrior has vision, and a warrior is cunning.
"Above all else, a warrior has a vision; he has a transcendence to his life, a cause greater than self-preservation... A true warrior serves something - or Someone - higher than himself."
A warrior isn't focused on saving his own life. Most of his actions involve putting his life on the line, and this is only possible when you're living for something greater than yourself. My mind goes to Brave Heart. Towards the end of the movie William Wallace is going to meet with Robert the Bruce because he has offered to fight along side him which gives the hope of final victory. Wallace's friend warns him that it's a trap, and this dialogue takes place.
Hamish: I don't want to be a martyr.
William Wallace: Nor I. I want to live. I want a home and children, and peace.
Hamish: Do ya?
William Wallace: Aye, I do. I've asked God for these things. But it's all for nothing if you don't have freedom.
William Wallace goes, is captured, and executed. But if you've seen the movie you know that even at the end he has the greater purpose in mind where even as he is being gutted he cries out, "FREEDOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!"
I think about Gladiator. Maximus has a desire to join his wife and son in the after life. As he fights his final battle in the Coliseum we see him begin to fade in and out, but he stays focused, finishes what he must do, because he is living and fighting for the glory of Rome.
A warrior has vision, he lives and serves for that vision, setting aside his own life, his own safety for something greater. A warrior is only a warrior when he serves something, or someone, greater than himself. Vision is what strengthens him to keep going, it enables him to endure the hardships, and if necessary it gives him the courage to lay his life down.
"Second, a warrior is cunning. He knows when to fight and when to run; he can sense a trap and never charges blindly ahead; he knows what weapons to carry and how to use them."
Not all battles are worth fighting, not all hills are worth dying on. Sometimes we run, and live to fight another day. Sometimes there are traps laid to take us out, and so it's crucial to be heads up and alert so we don't waste our lives carelessly. And what warrior is ever unarmed? Even if it's just his hands, he knows how to use them. He knows what weapons are needed for battle, and he knows how to use them. He's trained with them, he knows them, and he carries the appropriate tools for the job.
Vision and cunning are crucial to a warrior because we face deadly enemies whose sole purpose is to take us out. Sometimes we may need to give our lives, and with vision we are willing and ready to. Sometimes we run, sometimes we fight, and with cunning we know the difference and how to.
We are warriors. You are a warrior. And you have enemies that are working to take you out. Be on your guard and ready for the battle.
"Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen." Ephesians 3.20-21
To God alone be the Glory!
Strength and Honor
Some of these qualities are good and true, others miss the point. John points out two main characteristics of the warrior, two that really sum them all up. A warrior has vision, and a warrior is cunning.
"Above all else, a warrior has a vision; he has a transcendence to his life, a cause greater than self-preservation... A true warrior serves something - or Someone - higher than himself."
A warrior isn't focused on saving his own life. Most of his actions involve putting his life on the line, and this is only possible when you're living for something greater than yourself. My mind goes to Brave Heart. Towards the end of the movie William Wallace is going to meet with Robert the Bruce because he has offered to fight along side him which gives the hope of final victory. Wallace's friend warns him that it's a trap, and this dialogue takes place.
Hamish: I don't want to be a martyr.
William Wallace: Nor I. I want to live. I want a home and children, and peace.
Hamish: Do ya?
William Wallace: Aye, I do. I've asked God for these things. But it's all for nothing if you don't have freedom.
William Wallace goes, is captured, and executed. But if you've seen the movie you know that even at the end he has the greater purpose in mind where even as he is being gutted he cries out, "FREEDOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!"
I think about Gladiator. Maximus has a desire to join his wife and son in the after life. As he fights his final battle in the Coliseum we see him begin to fade in and out, but he stays focused, finishes what he must do, because he is living and fighting for the glory of Rome.
A warrior has vision, he lives and serves for that vision, setting aside his own life, his own safety for something greater. A warrior is only a warrior when he serves something, or someone, greater than himself. Vision is what strengthens him to keep going, it enables him to endure the hardships, and if necessary it gives him the courage to lay his life down.
"Second, a warrior is cunning. He knows when to fight and when to run; he can sense a trap and never charges blindly ahead; he knows what weapons to carry and how to use them."
Not all battles are worth fighting, not all hills are worth dying on. Sometimes we run, and live to fight another day. Sometimes there are traps laid to take us out, and so it's crucial to be heads up and alert so we don't waste our lives carelessly. And what warrior is ever unarmed? Even if it's just his hands, he knows how to use them. He knows what weapons are needed for battle, and he knows how to use them. He's trained with them, he knows them, and he carries the appropriate tools for the job.
Vision and cunning are crucial to a warrior because we face deadly enemies whose sole purpose is to take us out. Sometimes we may need to give our lives, and with vision we are willing and ready to. Sometimes we run, sometimes we fight, and with cunning we know the difference and how to.
We are warriors. You are a warrior. And you have enemies that are working to take you out. Be on your guard and ready for the battle.
"Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen." Ephesians 3.20-21
To God alone be the Glory!
Strength and Honor
Thursday, April 25, 2013
Wild at Heart, Chapter 8: A Battle to Fight: The Enemy, part 1
"If we would endeavor, like men of courage, to stand in the battle, surely we would feel the favorable assistance of God from Heaven. For he who giveth us occasion to fight, to the end we may get the victory, is ready to succor those that fight manfully, and do trust in his grace." -Thomas A Kempis
With each chapter John begins with a few quotes. Usually song lyrics, occasionally Scripture, and often from other pieces of literature. Very few have really hit me with this reading, but this one did. We've come to the part that thrills the heart of every man, the warrior. This is written deeply into our image. Exodus 15.3 declares, "The Lord is a warrior; The Lord is His name." And in Genesis it says we are made in the image of God, and therefore, man is a warrior.
"A man needs a battle to fight; he needs a place for the warrior in him to come alive and be honed, trained, seasoned... every man is a warrior, yet every man must choose to fight... the warrior is crucial in our movement toward any masculine integrity; it is hard wired into every man."
Every man is a warrior, and a warrior needs a battle to fight if he is to stay a warrior. For his skills to stay sharp he has to use them, and it's crucial that his skills be honed because we live in a world at war, as C.S. Lewis points out, I believe in Mere Christianity, or as Aragorn tells Theoden in The Two Towers, "Open war is upon you whether you would risk it or not."
Every man is a warrior, and every man is born into war, but every man has the choice to join the fight or not. But it is crucial that we do, because without the warrior it is impossible for us to continue on in the journey to man hood. Without being a warrior, a man cannot be a Man of God.
I am not saying that all men must serve in the military to be a real man. I didn't serve, one of the only regrets I have in life, as many of the men I know have not. But literal war is not the only battle there is to fight, and those who put their lives on the line for our freedom are not the only ones who are warriors.
"A man must have a battle to fight, a great mission to his life that involves and yet transcends even home and family. He must have a cause to which he is devoted even unto death, for this is written into the fabric of his being. That is why God created you - to be his intimate ally, to join him in the Great Battle. You have a specific place in the line, a mission God made you for. That is why it is so essential to hear form God about your true name, because in that name is the mission of your life."
You were made to stand side by side with God in this war. You were created for this, and "your whole life has been preparation for battle." Everything that has happened in your life has been part of your training, God's boot camp if you will. The things we have experienced and been through, have served to prepare us for the things we encounter in war. And you have an essential part, you play an irreplaceable role, "No one else can be who you are meant to be. You are the hero in your story." John says, you are William Wallace, armed with a claymore not the guy four rows back with a garden hoe.
God created you to stand next to Him and push forward. The training has happened, the wounds that have been inflicted have been healed, you have been given your true name which comes with an identity and therefore a mission, and now you are ready for battle. "This is the next leg in the initiation journey, when God calls a man forward to the front lines."
The Spartans were the greatest warriors of the ancient world. Take away gunpowder, and I might be tempted to say they were the greatest warriors ever (the Navy SEALs would be the only ones who I'd say would stand a chance against them with hand to hand weapons). A single Spartan was a force to be reckoned with, his whole life had been devoted to preparing for war. He was trained to ignore pain, and went into battle hoping to meet a warrior worthy and able to give him his death. The Spartans were taught never to retreat and were told, "Come back carrying your shield, or on it." Just one of them could take on pretty much any opponent, but the Spartan army was nearly invincible.
The numbers of the Battle of Thermopylae vary based on your source, but the Spartans were greatly outnumbered, and still held their own for three days killing tens of thousands of Persians. The secret was in their phalanx. This battle formation was formed by the Spartans standing side by side with their massive shields overlapping. Each warrior protected himself and the man to his left. The older, experienced warriors, would be in front and back where the fighting was most intense. In the center there were young Spartans who were learning how to fight in an actual war. But no Spartan stayed in the middle forever. The day would come from each of them to be called to the front, being given the honor to add his shield to the phalanx.
We are at this stage in the journey were God has called us forward, we get to join our shield to the phalanx. God is standing to your right, covering you with His shield. And you have the chance to call others to join you. I've shared the meaning of the names I've picked out for my sons, and along with those names I have picked out a life verse for them. To my first, "Mighty, Man of God" I've picked out 2 Timothy 2.1-4, "You therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. The things which you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, entrust these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also. Suffer hardship with me, as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. No soldier in active service entangles himself in the affairs of everyday life, so that he may please the one who enlisted him as a soldier." The time will come when he will be called to join the front lines, to add his shield to the phalanx, to stand firm with me as a solider of Christ. And when he is called to the front it will be because he is ready.
God has called you to the front lines. You have what it takes. You are a warrior.
"Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen." Ephesians 3.20-21
To God alone be the Glory!
Strength and Honor
With each chapter John begins with a few quotes. Usually song lyrics, occasionally Scripture, and often from other pieces of literature. Very few have really hit me with this reading, but this one did. We've come to the part that thrills the heart of every man, the warrior. This is written deeply into our image. Exodus 15.3 declares, "The Lord is a warrior; The Lord is His name." And in Genesis it says we are made in the image of God, and therefore, man is a warrior.
"A man needs a battle to fight; he needs a place for the warrior in him to come alive and be honed, trained, seasoned... every man is a warrior, yet every man must choose to fight... the warrior is crucial in our movement toward any masculine integrity; it is hard wired into every man."
Every man is a warrior, and a warrior needs a battle to fight if he is to stay a warrior. For his skills to stay sharp he has to use them, and it's crucial that his skills be honed because we live in a world at war, as C.S. Lewis points out, I believe in Mere Christianity, or as Aragorn tells Theoden in The Two Towers, "Open war is upon you whether you would risk it or not."
Every man is a warrior, and every man is born into war, but every man has the choice to join the fight or not. But it is crucial that we do, because without the warrior it is impossible for us to continue on in the journey to man hood. Without being a warrior, a man cannot be a Man of God.
I am not saying that all men must serve in the military to be a real man. I didn't serve, one of the only regrets I have in life, as many of the men I know have not. But literal war is not the only battle there is to fight, and those who put their lives on the line for our freedom are not the only ones who are warriors.
"A man must have a battle to fight, a great mission to his life that involves and yet transcends even home and family. He must have a cause to which he is devoted even unto death, for this is written into the fabric of his being. That is why God created you - to be his intimate ally, to join him in the Great Battle. You have a specific place in the line, a mission God made you for. That is why it is so essential to hear form God about your true name, because in that name is the mission of your life."
You were made to stand side by side with God in this war. You were created for this, and "your whole life has been preparation for battle." Everything that has happened in your life has been part of your training, God's boot camp if you will. The things we have experienced and been through, have served to prepare us for the things we encounter in war. And you have an essential part, you play an irreplaceable role, "No one else can be who you are meant to be. You are the hero in your story." John says, you are William Wallace, armed with a claymore not the guy four rows back with a garden hoe.
God created you to stand next to Him and push forward. The training has happened, the wounds that have been inflicted have been healed, you have been given your true name which comes with an identity and therefore a mission, and now you are ready for battle. "This is the next leg in the initiation journey, when God calls a man forward to the front lines."
The Spartans were the greatest warriors of the ancient world. Take away gunpowder, and I might be tempted to say they were the greatest warriors ever (the Navy SEALs would be the only ones who I'd say would stand a chance against them with hand to hand weapons). A single Spartan was a force to be reckoned with, his whole life had been devoted to preparing for war. He was trained to ignore pain, and went into battle hoping to meet a warrior worthy and able to give him his death. The Spartans were taught never to retreat and were told, "Come back carrying your shield, or on it." Just one of them could take on pretty much any opponent, but the Spartan army was nearly invincible.
The numbers of the Battle of Thermopylae vary based on your source, but the Spartans were greatly outnumbered, and still held their own for three days killing tens of thousands of Persians. The secret was in their phalanx. This battle formation was formed by the Spartans standing side by side with their massive shields overlapping. Each warrior protected himself and the man to his left. The older, experienced warriors, would be in front and back where the fighting was most intense. In the center there were young Spartans who were learning how to fight in an actual war. But no Spartan stayed in the middle forever. The day would come from each of them to be called to the front, being given the honor to add his shield to the phalanx.
We are at this stage in the journey were God has called us forward, we get to join our shield to the phalanx. God is standing to your right, covering you with His shield. And you have the chance to call others to join you. I've shared the meaning of the names I've picked out for my sons, and along with those names I have picked out a life verse for them. To my first, "Mighty, Man of God" I've picked out 2 Timothy 2.1-4, "You therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. The things which you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, entrust these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also. Suffer hardship with me, as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. No soldier in active service entangles himself in the affairs of everyday life, so that he may please the one who enlisted him as a soldier." The time will come when he will be called to join the front lines, to add his shield to the phalanx, to stand firm with me as a solider of Christ. And when he is called to the front it will be because he is ready.
God has called you to the front lines. You have what it takes. You are a warrior.
"Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen." Ephesians 3.20-21
To God alone be the Glory!
Strength and Honor
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