I am in a War

It’s that time of year once again for me, when I enjoy the beauty of the turning of the seasons, the cool crisp air of an autumn night, the entertainment of weekend football games with my family, and the one event that sets the tone for my entire year: the silent prayer retreat. It has become an annual pilgrimage that I have so prioritized that literally, the only way I would miss it would be due to the death of a loved one. This year however, feels much different. The past year has been one of my most challenging as a believer. At times, it has felt as if I have lost my way and I have done nothing more than spin my wheels in the mud. A part of me feels emptier than I ever have before. Feelings of discouragement, hopelessness, and defeat have haunted me almost daily. And yet, I realize something about all of this. I AM IN A WAR. If you were to ask me, “How is the battle going?” I would honesty confess that it feels as if I have lost some ground this year-----in fact I know I have. As a husband, a father, a minister, and a believer, I have certainly not met my own expectations as to what I have desired to become this year. A closer examination of my life would perhaps even be more troubling as honesty would require me to confess that I have not met the Lord’s expectations in the roles He has privileged me with. But then again, I AM IN A WAR!

War doesn’t always play out in the way we strategize it in our minds. There are certain causalities along the way. Despite being well armed and equipped, having all we need to defeat our enemy, we still experience the effects of the war. It’s tiring. It’s frustrating. It’s discouraging. It’s unpredictable. As the war rages on, we do grow weary and that’s where the greatest danger for us exists. I think of the prophet Elijah, who battled the god of his culture on Mount Carmel, decisively defeating his enemy, only to find himself retreating to the wilderness wanting to die (1 Kings 19:3-4). David in all of his conquests decided he had enough as well. Instead of marching on as the commander and chief of Israel’s army, he remained secure in his palace abode-----which began the decline of his kingdom via a series of poor choices that followed (1 Samuel 11:1-4). It’s not uncommon for God’s people to want to throw in the towel and walk away from the battlefield; yet, we seldom think of the consequences in giving up the fight. For Elijah, God’s response was simple: “…anoint Elisha son of Shaphat from Abel Meholah to succeed you as prophet” (1 Kings 19:16). In other words, “Go get your replacement!” The irony for David was that the very thing he sought refuge from----the battlefield---would now become the defining picture of his future kingdom: “…the sword will never depart from your house...” (2 Samuel 12:10). What we too often fail to realize, that in those moments when we want to escape from the battle, we may be making things worse for ourselves and forfeiting the rightful blessings that the Lord has prepared for our lives. I believe this is what Paul had in mind when he wrote, “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up” (Galatians 6:9). I would further Paul’s thought in submitting, that either way, we will reap a harvest from our decision of pressing on or giving up. One will bring us to a place of abundance and the other will bring us to a place of desolation. One thing, however, remains true. As long as we remain here on this earth, the war will never leave us. We only have the choice of being active participants or unwilling bystanders.

So how do I know I am still an active participant in this war? Because I have one important resource that is too often overshadowed by all of that which I do not have: I HAVE DESIRE!  I STILL HAVE THE DESIRE TO GO AFTER GOD AND BE ALL THAT HE HAS CALLED ME TO BE. That’s what this weekend is about for me. It’s a time to recharge and renew my commitment. It’s my opportunity to re-equip myself for the battles that I am certain to face. I have learned to no longer worry about how the retreat will impact my future or the changes that I will try to institute as a result of being there; rather, I simply want to cultivate a deeper desire for the Lord. As long as I have desire, I have the drive to continue the fight. As long as I have desire, I can always find a place of refuge in the war without giving up the fight. Jesus said, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light” (Matthew 11:28-30). Yes, the war is real. Yes, it is filled with trials and pain. But in the greater picture of this lifelong battle, is a God, who if we have the desire to know Him and seek Him, has promised to lighten the burden of our conflicts and walk along side of us bearing the brunt of the assaults upon us. I am in a war, but I am not alone. I am in a war, but I can find rest. I am in a war, but I already have the victory. As long as I have the desire to know Christ more, I will not and cannot be defeated, because He has promised that He will remain with me every step of the way.

War Room: Real Life or Fairy Tale?

This past weekend, my wife and I went on a date to see the new Kendrick Brothers movie, War Room. I happen to be a big fan of the work that the Kendrick Brothers are doing in elevating the quality of Christian Film while always maintaining a powerful message that is certain to challenge one in their faith. War Room was no exception. The point of the movie was simple: prayer must be a central aspect of the believer’s life and they must learn how to utilize this gift in order to live a victorious, overcoming life. Upon leaving the theatre, I was forced to consider my own prayer life and confront the realization that I am failing miserably in this area of my life. Sure, it was a fictitious story where things turned out for the characters involved and perhaps many would see it as having a fairy tale ending that seldom ever happens in “real life;” but, I was left pondering an even more important question: Is this what real life is supposed to be for the Christian?

I think that too often, the perspective we have of our faith is that in “real life,” things seldom ever turn out the way we want and there are very few fairy tale endings where we get the desired or even better outcome than expected. We relinquish ourselves to accepting that this is what life holds because we live in a fallen world. And to make matters more complicated, it seems that trials and suffering have become the status quo of living if you’re a follower of Jesus. For many, Christian jargon phrases such as victorious living, being more than a conqueror, freedom in Christ, and the abundant life seem more like unrealistic concepts than they do practicalities for daily living. Sure we have the security of knowing we are going to heaven one day, but in the meantime, it seems as if this whole serving Jesus thing produces more pain than happiness and more turmoil than it does peace. Is this really the way that the Christian life was meant to be?  

The Bible tells us that suffering is a necessary part of or growing in our relationship with Christ. James 1:2-4 reminds that we should “consider it pure joy whenever you face trials...” so that as we persevere through them, we may be “mature and complete, not lacking anything.” Suffering also connects the believer in a deeper way to Christ. As Paul wrote in Philippians, “For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe in him, but also to suffer for him” (Philippians 1:29) and “ I want know Christ---yes, to know the power of his resurrection AND PARTIPATION IN HIS SUFFERINGS…” (Philippians 3:10). But is this the only way we grow in our faith? Is the Christian life one only to be one of pain and drudgery while we remain here on the earth?

In getting back to War Room, one of the characters, Miss Clara is portrayed as a fiery prayer warrior who in essence, lives and breathes the Word of God. From what the audience can gather, she has dedicated her life to teaching other women the ministry of intercession. From her perspective, we fail to have victory in our lives because we fail to apprehend the riches discovered in the Word of God and prayer. In watching her character, you are left with the impression that prayer is something that one does throughout the day, communing with God at every possible opportunity, and speaking the Word of God in all of life’s situations----but is this a realistic picture of how it should be or just an exaggerated picture of the Christian life via Hollywood?  

Central to answering this question lies in what we believe about the Word of God. When Paul makes statements such as “PRAY CONTINUALLY and give thanks in all circumstances” (1 Thessalonians 5:17-18), “ALWAYS GIVE YOURSELF FULLY to the work of the Lord” (1 Corinthians 15:58), “…PRAY in the Spirit ON ALL OCCASSIONS with all kinds of prayers and requests….ALWAYS KEEP ON PRAYING for all the saints” (Ephesians 6:18),  and “Do not be anxious about anything but IN EVERYTHING BY PRAYER and PETITION, with thanksgiving present your requests to God” (Philippians 4:6), did he mean those things literally or figuratively? In our Western mindset, we will certainly argue that Paul in no way envisioned Christians who would primarily spend their day praying and spouting off God’s Word as much as they could. After all, that would be fanatical and unrealistic in the “real world.” What would people think about us if we spend the majority of our time speaking truth from Scripture, praising the Name of Jesus throughout the day, and being bold enough to pray in every opportunity when it was warranted? Instead, we have come to believe that we must maintain a conservative and reserved attitude when it comes to dealing with matters of our faith. Sure, we read our bibles. Sure, we do our devotions with prayer lists included. But to be consumed about the things of God and to live with an unrestrained passion in demonstrating that in daily living, well that is another story!

Guess what? I am here to burst your bubble. WE ARE TO LIVE THAT KIND OF LIFE! WE ARE TO BE THOSE KIND OF CHRISTIANS! Jesus told his disciples, “I confer on you a kingdom just as my Father conferred upon me” (Luke 22:29). We have been assigned as stewards and covenant partakers of the reality of the kingdom of God. Jesus also told us that he came that we may “have life and have it to the full” (John 10:10). In other words, our lives should reflect all that Jesus has done for us, in us, and has given to us. We have been given the fullness of life. As Paul tells us, even when the hardships and suffering comes our way in this life, “…we are MORE THAN conquerors through him who loved us” (Romans 8:28). The unfortunate thing, however, is that we seldom live as if this is true. Which brings me back to my original thought: what would life be like if we actually began living the way that the Bible speaks of the Christian life---especially in the areas of prayer and appropriating God’s Word?

If anything, War Room, presents a challenge to us. It shows us the importance and necessity of having a prayer life. But if you consider the deeper significance of what the means, I believe that we can conclude that we are missing the greater point. Life is about prayer! Life is about the Word of God richly dwelling in us! Life is about Jesus and following His example in living! Anything else we put our hands to, occupy our time with, and pursue while we are here on earth is not life, nor is it living---it is merely existing. Do we wonder why life appears to be a constant struggle of simply making it through another day? Do we wonder why we can’t overcome our issues and we find ourselves wrapped up in crisis after crisis? Do we wonder why our problems seem endless and it feels like there is no light in the midst of our darkness? The answer is simple: because we have yet to access the life awaiting for us in Jesus. And until we are ready to relinquish our mere existing in this world in favor of pursuing the only true life offered to us, we will never move beyond the common struggles of humanity to embrace a glorious, victorious life offered to all who are willing to live boldly, radically, and completely for Jesus Christ.