FIGHTING THE GOOD FIGHT

There are battles we face in life that are fought and won in a short time: passing tests, playing games, solving a puzzle in the newspaper, or winning at a sporting event. We engage in these battles and occupy our time with them at least in part because they grant us instant satisfaction and a measure of self confidence.

Other battles involve more time in fighting and winning: graduating from high school or college, getting a promotion at work, rearing children, achieving retirement. These battles are of greater importance because there is a significant achievement providing a greater and more lasting sense of accomplishment and satisfaction. With each of these two types of battles, we can win the battle and move on to other things.

However, there are some battles that are continuing struggles and we will never completely win the battle until death. They are constant battles that require daily efforts and struggles on our part. For a society that is accustomed to seeing complex crimes solved in one hour on television, sporting events started in finished in two or three hours, and completing the sudoku in 30 minutes, the longevity of these battles is hard to accept. We only win this battle by continuing to fight.

Wanda and I have been trying to establish a daily habit of exercising, and also being a little more careful in our diet to lose some weight. This is not a battle you can fight for a few hours, or a few days, or a few weeks, or even a few years. It is a battle you must continue fighting. A while back, we were walking about two miles six days a week. The exercise helped us feel better and actually helped us watch our diet. We both started losing some weight. Then, things got a little hectic in our schedule and we missed a few days. Before long it was a week and then months since we had exercised on a daily basis. Guess what happened. The weight loss stopped. We had quit fighting the battle.

The Christian life is this kind of battle. It is not one to be fought and won today, but an ongoing fight. Some might find it discouraging, but I think just the opposite is true. If we accept the fact that our battle is an ongoing one, I believe we will have a great weight lifted from our shoulders. The person who is constantly telling himself, “I gave to win today!” will soon be hopeless and give up. If Wanda and I try to achieve our goal of losing weight and being in better shape in a matter of days, or weeks, we will be doomed to failure. Why? Because it is a battle that continues to be fought even after we have achieved some measure of success. The same is true of the Christian life. As we struggle and battle each day, we can achieve some measure of success. However, we must continue the battle tomorrow or we will gain nothing, and may even lose what was gained yesterday. Paul told Timothy, “Fight the good fight of the faith” (1 Timothy 6:12). It was a battle that Paul was only expecting Timothy to win by continuing to fight it, and the same is true for us today.

Today we fight the battle. Our victory is through our faith on a daily basis (1 John 5:4). If we continue the battle, we will overcome.
--Lamar