So much has been said and written of the male natural attraction to battles, war and fighting (much better written than I can) that I’m not going to go back over this well-trodden field.
This blog entry isn't so much about what I want to say...it's ALL about hearing from you all...what do you think?
I do hope that some of you reading this will add to this thread some book references (“Wild At Heart”), your favorite movies (“Jeremiah Johnson”), etc….
It’s In Man’s DNA
Simply said, take away a boy’s plastic replica firearm and you’ll find him taping two sticks together to make another one.
We love to be the hero, the fighter, battles against all odds….
In a clearing stands a boxer and a fighter by his trade and he carries those reminders of every glove that laid him out or cut him till he cried out in his anger and his shame “I am leaving, I am leaving, but the fighter still remains.”
“The Boxer,” by Simon and Garfunkel
So, we’re going to find ways to fight, to battle, it’s really about what are we fighting for! Are you going to be a warrior or a mercenary?
The Warrior
The warrior is much different than the mercenary. The warrior is fighting to protect the people, values, and for the things he loves. There is a warrior code (Bushido), there is honor, there is respect, and there is a time to rest and halt from being a warrior: When the call to war changes to the celebration of peace he restores himself to fulfilling the other roles of man, yet he always has the elements of the warrior close at hand.
The warrior is the policeman, the firefighter, the knight, the faithful husband and father. He is disciplined, self-sacrificing and is thoughtful of others, those weaker, those in need of help.
In the name of honor, in the face of battle, in the heart of one man, lives the soul of a warrior.
“The Last Samurai”
To those who are victorious, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.
Revelation 2:7b
Fight the good fight for what we believe. Hold tightly to the eternal life that God has given you, which you have confessed so well before many witnesses.
1 Timothy 6:12
I have fought a good fight, I have finished the race, and I have remained faithful.
2 Timothy 4:7
Put on your sword, O mighty warrior! You are so glorious, so majestic!
In your majesty, ride out to victory, defending truth, humility, and justice. Go forth to perform awe-inspiring deeds!
Psalm 45:3-4
The Mercenary
The mercenary is fighting for financial, personal or spiteful gain. He’s selfish and has no loyalty except to what he may gain from fighting. He is the bar room brawler; he is the playground bully; he is the abuser.
Which one are you going to be, the Warrior or the Mercenary?
Try this on for size....
In the name of God, in the face of struggles and battles, in the heart of a Godly man, lives the heart of a warrior. Fight the good fight.
“The Fighter Within Me,” adapted by Keiger Bowman
