THE GOOD FIGHT


“Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called and about which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.” (1 Timothy 6:12)
Anyone who is alive today has one, two, or more battles confronting them at any given time, and not all of them deserve the attention many of us give them. There is a good fight to be fought!

If one is to live a joyful and accomplished life it is vitally important that one considers carefully and wisely the battles to fight and those to let go. The art of warfare itself demands such consideration if there is to be effective use of resources, and for one to be in a sound state of preparedness. Many people live a life of daily regret because they have failed to master this basic life truth that there are some fights not worth fighting and there are those that we must at all times be ready to undertake.

How many marriages have been derailed because spouses are constantly fighting the wrong fight with each other? Fight the good fight to develop and preserve love, trust, good communication, faithfulness, tolerance, mutual support, and patience in the marriage – this is the good fight necessary for holding on to the benefits of the companionship and partnership that marriage promises. Fight the good fight of building on and celebrating the 80% of the time your relationship is everything you desire it to be and resist the temptation to magnify the 20% of the time that it is not. No one can sincerely consider it a good fight when you have to wreck the 80% you already have because you want obtain the 20% you think you deserve.

Careers have been unsettled and talents wasted because the good fight of integrity, honesty, diligence, self-discipline, self-development and the like have not been fought. Fight the good fight against laziness, against making excuses, against procrastination. The good fight would be any just fight against such things that will keep you from maximizing your God-given potential.

And then there is the good fight of faith! The good fight of the faith is standing firm in the faith and perfecting holiness in the fear of God, earnestly contending for the faith which God has entrusted once for all time to His people . The good fight of the faith is putting on the whole armour of God, standing your ground, refusing to compromise or yield to the appetites and desires of the sin nature, and so putting the flesh and all its deeds under. The good fight of the faith is resisting the lies, deception and seduction of the devil but drawing near to God instead and embracing the truth – His living word and perfect law of liberty! The good fight of the faith is simply to insist on the Word no matter what the rest of the world insist on or which way they choose to go!

Child of God, one who is really fighting the good fight of faith will also be equipped to fight the good fight in their marriages or in the use of their time and talent because the wisdom of God is available to the faithful to live wisely in every aspect of life without exception.

Being a Christian is not a concept that is separate from being married, being a parent or labouring for livelihood with the time, skills and talents God has given you. As a Christian you live out your faith toward God in the context of your relationships with others and you fight the fight of faith in every aspect of your life and relationships – on the job, in your home, and everywhere else. So, “Fight the good fight for the true faith. Hold tightly to the eternal life to which God has called you...”


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