What are you fighting for?
Over on the border of Ukraine and Russia, the Ukrainians have moved from defense to offense, pouring into Russia in a daring move. But then, they are fighting for their families and for freedom. It’s a good fight.
As he was preparing to die, Paul said: “I have fought the good fight.”
What about you and me? What fight we are in and what makes it good? Paul tells us it is against “spiritual forces of evil.” (Eph. 6) The good fight is a struggle for freedom and for love. You first fight to get free yourself. And when you’re free, you can shift your focus to loving others into a place of freedom.
We have two selves: our public self and private self. My private self is free. I know God loves me and I don’t need to perform. I don’t struggle with self-doubt or worrying about meeting personal needs. But every day I’m engaged in fighting the good fight to free others.
What else am I going to do? God loves his children. His heart breaks for the pain they are in. It’s an extreme privilege to partner with him to help set his kids free.
Public Self
We are waging war against an enemy who hates us. That fact is more obvious in some places this past week. In addition to Ukraine, places like Venezuela, Sudan and the Gaza Strip daily suffer violence.
In our offices and homes, we may not experience that kind of violence, but how many of our friends and family may experience abuse? How many are quietly walking in a dark, hard place, shouldering their burden by themselves?
Private Self
Six years ago my father got some terrible news. He had an infection in his spinal column. The doctor told us, “It’s an infection. We can either operate and he’ll be paralyzed, but he’ll live a little while longer. Or he can forego the operation and he’ll die more quickly.”
When I went to the hospital, he was barely able to talk. I expected for him to give up. He’d been going through so much pain and the operation was only going to delay the inevitable.
I told him, “Dad, this is a horrible situation and maybe the best thing to do is to not to undergo such an invasive surgery.”
So I was shocked when he opened his eyes and spoke clearly to me. “I’m ready to fight! We’ve got all the cards on the table and there’s risk. Let’s do it – don’t worry about me.”
What are you fighting for?
More of us need my dad’s “don’t worry about me” attitude.
My friend Dan Banse says, “Our culture pictures Christianity as a Sunday hobby, a tranquil way to spend a few pleasant hours each week in the secure presence of like-minded friends. Our culture could not be more wrong.”
There’s a fight for lives afoot around the world. And we have the opportunity to get involved and maybe become someone’s hero by fighting for them.
Many of you reading this blog have given your lives to set the captives free. I want to encourage you. What you are doing is righteous and needed. Please, keep pressing on – the fight is a good one.
And some of you are on the sidelines. You’re tired and just want a little comfort. Or maybe it feels like all you can do to fight for yourselves. But that too is a righteous fight. You are worth it. Freedom is worth the fight!
What are you fighting for?
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I am thankful for the message here. We all need to have things to live and die for. It’s been my mantra too that we need to stay in a place of “holy discontent.” Being at “peace” isn’t the same as being “satisfied.”