"Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to
which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence
of many witnesses." - 1Timothy 6:12
There is a pattern to life; peaks and valleys. We have songs and poems that tell us of this pattern. We have books and movies too. The tendency for most of us is to duck in the valleys and stand tall on the peaks and, as such, we miss most of the scenery. There is a type of blindness to both places. At the summit everything below you is too small to really see and when you are hiding your head in the valley you can't see anything at all. On the peaks of life we can lose perspective and in the valleys we can lose hope.
I know I am dating myself a bit here but one of the reasons why I loved the movie Rocky was that he got it. He really did. He was just as happy drinking raw eggs and training until he collapsed as he was in the ring, advancing like a wounded bull at Apollo Creed in glorious combat. It wasn't that Rocky wouldn't go down, it's that he already had been down. It was a place he knew and was not afraid of anymore. So he kept advancing, taking shot after shot and giving in return. It wasn't the crowd or even Adrian, there in the front row, that kept him going. It was his heart.
Remember that the air is thin on the peaks. You can get dizzy and start seeing things that aren't really there. The same is true in the valleys, where it gets awful dark and the shadows can be misleading. None of it is important. Not a bit. Enjoy life, yes, but don't forget that you weren't created solely for this Earth, this place that is all peaks and valleys. If you were then you'd never be leaving it.
But someday, you will. There must be a reason for that. So keep your gloves up, stay true to your heart and remember that above all peaks and above all valleys there is a very big sky.
I loved this. I used to watch Rocky over and over as a kid with my brothers. (Of course, right?) I don't always think of my faith as a fight, or "fighting the good fight", so this gave me pause. Thank you. I've read that verse a million times and this was a new nuance for me. The struggle, the desperation, the reliance, the joy, the despair, the peace, the victory - all a part of the good fight. The eternal life doesn't start someday, we are already living it now, and the fight is part of that "taking hold".
ReplyDeleteI remember that drinking raw eggs scene like it was just yesterday. Totally badass.
Thanks Hilaree....it's good that you don't see your faith as a fight. I find that fascinating, actually. I think I've told you this but of all the people in the bible I identify with most it's gotta be Jacob (he who wrestled the angel). Isn't it true that many times that faith is presented as a struggle, war, battle (Ephesians 6:11, Hebrews 12:1, etc.)? I dunno. The ultimate joy IS in the victory of being more than conquerors though, right?
ReplyDeleteYou find it fascinating that I don't view my faith as a fight?
ReplyDeleteIn Ephesians, it may be important to recognize that the "full armor" we are encouraged to put on is the armor of God, and the elements of the armor are gifts from Him, not shiny pieces we earn through good behavior or struggle. Read those verses again. The belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, feet fitted with the gospel of peace, the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation, the sword of the Spirit, the word of God (Jesus). Truth, righteousness, the gospel of peace, faith, salvation, the Spirit, Jesus. None of those elements are earn-able by us. They are just gifts. Maybe the struggle is surrendering to the affection and protection of the Almighty, who equips us. We're more than conquerors "through Him who LOVED us." We're not more than conquerors because we're so awesome at fighting.
I'm going to stop talking now.
:)
Hilaree...thanks for putting me on check and reminding me of the contexts for each of the scriptures I put forth. Your viewpoints are valid. At no time was I trying to stress that "in the fight" of faith that we "earn" salvation. Without God the battle is lost before the first punch is thrown. NO argument here. I don't think it's much of a leap though to see just how often our faith is portrayed as a struggle, as a battle and even as a war. We are reminded that there are "forces on this Earth" meant to destroy us and that Satan is "roaming around like a hungry lion waiting to devour" us. Even Paul, who some would argue is the Rocky of the NT, laments that he struggles, knowing what not to do and then doing it anyway. In our daily lives, moment by moment, we too must face discouragements and temptations. How hard we fight that good fight goes a long way to determining so much.
ReplyDelete