Fight the Fight

Happy Friday Friends!

I hope and trust this post finds you all having a great day on this beautiful Sunday evening! Additionally, I sincerely hope you have had a wonderful weekend with your family, friends and those you are privileged to have in your life! :)

With this Happy Friday I want to invite you to join me in learning. We have just begun a new series at church titled, "Rivals." Our Pastor, Steve Huskey, has shared some God-inspired, thought provoking ideas the past two weeks that I simply want to share with you this evening. I am working through them - learning and growing. I thought that perhaps you would like to do the same.

Last week he shared a concept he called "position opposition." With this he stated, "we have things pushing us out of what God has for us." The reality is God has created you and I on purpose for a great purpose. We are perfectly equipped, lacking nothing. However there is also another reality; just as God wants you and I to have life and to live it abundantly, Satan is also real and he wishes nothing more than to kill, steal and destroy. For all that God wants for us, Satan equally opposes us. I think we know it intellectually, however do we really know it?

Here is the bottom line, and Pastor Steve's point; we are in a fight! Plain and simple. The problem is, most of us don't even realize it. We can't win a fight we don't even realize we are in. And yet, every single day, the battle rages. Will we rise up and fight? Intentionally?

And, in addition to the alarming wake-up call Pastor Steve provided, the 2 x 4 between the eyes for me was when he talked about our need to be aware of what is at stake in our fight. He gave a very poignant example of when a person fails in their fight. You see, your battles aren't just about you. The battles before us impact our families, our friends, our purposes, etc. The question is, will you and I fight for our families, fight for our marriages, fight for our purposes and fight to keep them? You and I don't have to fight, and many don't. Simply look at the alarming number of broken lives, destroyed marriages and failed purposes to prove the point. Whether you choose to fight the fight or not, just know, it is about so much more than just you. There are lives, literally hundreds as you play it all out, that are impacted by the decision you and I make.

And then this morning Pastor Steve introduced a concept he called "Intimidation Summation." He defined this as, "adding up challenges and backing down from our fight."
Ever been there? Yeah, me too. We look at all the problems or challenges in a situation and decide that these are stop signs. We back down. Fear has won. And in reality? It was probably Satan simply stepping up his game a little bit because we were right where we were supposed to be!

As we are going through this series we are looking at the story of David and Goliath. I tell you that because I want to tell you the purpose of the Goliath's in our lives. Golaith's purpose is to get you and I to back down because we can't win a fight we won't engage in. 

The problem for most of us is we are fighting from our inadequacies, our weaknesses and not from our faith. If you study David and Goliath you will find the David fought from faith, not in himself but in God. How about you and I? How different would the battles we face look different if we fought from faith, if we fought as though we could win?

And Pastor Steve had an excellent point; we are not just fighting against something, we are fighting for something. Whatever or whoever the opponent might be, you and I are fighting for our marriages, for our families, for our friends, and for our purposes! What is on the other side of the opposition? Pastor Steve didn't say it this way but I will; what is on the other side of backing away from the opposition?! There are consequences either way...

You know, nobody can tell anybody else how they should live their lives, what decisions they should make, whether or not they should fight the fight. I am simply grateful that I have been reminded that the fight is real and that it rages on all the time. I am grateful I am reminded that there is so much at stake. Yes, I get tired. Yes, I get discourage. And yes, I get up every morning, surrender this life to God, fervently seek His leadership in my life and then I fight my battles. I will do this with more intentional focus, with more purpose and with more energy. I pray He will continue to teach me and make me more aware. I pray he will give me the wisdom, courage and strength...I will surely need Him and them, every day.

Please don't hesitate to contact me if there is ever anything I can do for you or your family. I will always help you any way I can. You can reach me at kevin@whatwillyourinfluencebe.com.

Have a great day, a wonderful week and please cherish your precious families.

Kev