Are You Ready To Fight!?
God
is sooooo Good. As some of you know, I have 2 blackbelts in martial
arts. I am a 3rd degree in the Mikio Surai style of martial arts that I teach. Well, this weekend, I had the opportunity to go on a black-belt
survival/training trip with my black belt club. It was something that
I hadn't been able to participate in for 3 years now. I wanted so
badly to go but wasn't sure if there was a way financially... and
with time. Well, God made a way. It was a wonderful trip and a good
spiritual lesson learned. I even found a sister church so that I was
able to worship with like believers during Sabbath. After Sabbath, I
had the opportunity to train with my black-belt family and learn new
'stuff''. We were tired, brain-busted, and suffered from a lack of
sleep. ??? 💤 but we learned so much and had just such a crazy and fun
time that I was just very encouraged. I also got to see one of the
blackbelts who trained during the same time as I. It was good to have
someone there from "my" martial arts generation and age.
You know, someone who wasn't a young 'whipper snapper', but in the
50's like me.
There are several things that can be learned in how to
survive.
1.
Do you always have your survival tools ready for life or are you just
going to let life happen to you and then have to figure out something
to try to survive... will it be too late then? Will the big bad
boogie man called 'life' attack and find you not ready, catch you
unawares and unprepared?
2.
What about your mind set? Flight or Fight? Let's look at these and
what the implications can be in each.
Flight:
When 'life' comes, are you ready to take it on or do you just let it
happen? "Flight" - When you just let it happen, then you
are running because of the fear, anxiety, frustration, and stress
that you have allowed it to cause you and so you don't know what to
do... so, you run. You are running away from it because of all of the negative
implications that it can have. In some cases, this is wise to do. In dealing with 'life', you
are running away from it because you are afraid and don't want to
face what life has to give. Sometimes when you flee, you don't always
survive. But, let's say in this case, you've survived, but there is
no control of 'life' and it is still out there to do whatever it wants to you.
Fight:
When 'life' comes, are you ready to take it on or do you just let it
happen? "Fight" - When you fight, this is the way where you
are able to atleast control some of the situations and be able to
guide 'life' into submission somewhat to where you want it to go
instead of letting it take over and have its' way with you. You are
running to it, attacking it with all your fervor for survival,
because of the abundance, challenges, possibilities, stress, dangers,
frustrations, prosperity, and victory that you have overcome and the positive results it will/can/has caused. You are running to it because of all of the possibilities of
negative and positive implications that it can have. Sometimes it may
be imbalanced with negatives, yet you still fight. Sometimes, it may
be imbalanced with positives, yet you continue to survive and be
alert and prepared for the negatives. You are running to it because,
although you are afraid, frustrated, anxious for a positive outcome,
and stressed, you also have experienced that victory in overcoming
and not giving up... NOT QUITTING. You know that it has much to offer
that is more positive than negative. You come out the victor!
You
see, in one case there is the aspect of just getting away and
surviving and in a physical circumstance, that is what definitely
needs to happen. The difference is, in the other case, the aspect is
not JUST getting away but preventing the attacker from being able to
continue chasing you. Take them down! In one, while you have
survived, which is good, but that is all. In the other, while different attackers in
life will always come after you, you are not only able to JUST
survive, but you are able to enjoy life, take it as it comes knowing
that you are going THROUGH a situation, not staying in it. That you
are able to live life without fear, realizing that you are too
blessed to be stressed. Seeing that you are able to live again and
not be afraid of life coming at you because you are going for it with
all zeal, confidence, joy, and expectation of what it will result in,
whether it be gaining peace of mind, prosperity, abundance, a career,
goals, or even material expectations.
I
have good news for you! God has instilled in you an amazing survival
tool bag. Did you know that each one of us have the ability to fight
or flight from a situation? Not just physical situations of an
attacker, but also attacks on our emotions, spiritual attacks,
attacks psychologically, holistically, & physiologically. We all
get these types of attacks every single day! You have the ability to
fight, you just have to believe that God has given you this skill and
then pray to ask God to give you the BOLDNESS to use it. That is...
bravery, heroic courage to help you to make it... to fight through
anything, to not give up and just turn over and give in and to be stuck in the situation or circumstance that was only to be for a season.
Speaking
of skill, skills get rusty and wane like muscles that gets no
exercise. But, that doesn't mean that it doesn't exist anymore. You
still have it, it just needs to be used. The more you use the skill
of survival in everyday life with the tools that God has given you,
the greater the outcome of guiding your life to where you want it to
be. If you don't use these tools that He has not only given you a
'privilege' to use, but has given you a 'RIGHT' to use to live life
more abundantly, then you will remain in those situations and circumstance. Your life will continue to be one filled with constant "DRAMA"! You must decide to be active in deciding what your life will be and who you will allow to be involved in it that will encourage you to get up and keep moving! Keep fighting until you are the conqueror!
One
of my favorite scriptures of the bible is... 1 John 1:2 - "Beloved,
I wish above all things that you may prosper and be in health even as
your soul prospers."
Another
one is... John 10:10 - "The thief comes only to steal and kill
and destroy; BUT, I came that they may have life, and have it more
abundantly."
You
see, even God wants us to fight for life and even he fought for us so
that we can have it more abundantly. So, I guess the question is...
do we choose to run from life and all of its trials or do we choose
to fight and face them head on and have victory. In our own strength,
we can do nothing. But, when we channel in to the strength that God
gives us, we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us...
Christ is that Channel by which we can all fight the attacks of life
and come out victors! 🙌
So,
what are you fighting to have victory over!?