1 Timothy 6:12 KJV
Fight the good fight of faith lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses.
DAILY READING John 3:22-36; 1 Chronicles 13-14; Zechariah3
Every Christian faces a fight of faith at one time or the other. Life is essentially a battle. And to win, you must be willing to fight. Champions are made from challenges. Warriors are made from wars. However to win in any fight you need complete focus. You must not allow yourself to be distracted or side tracked.
When two boxers are in the ring, sometimes something happens which the audience may not see. Often as they war with their fists, they also war with words. A boxer may say something demeaning or provoking, just to get the other boxer to be angered and lose his coordination, thereby opening up his defenses for a knock out. To win a fight, a boxer must therefore keep his mind focused on winning and shut out every distraction. No matter what he hears or sees, he must maintain his focus. A boxer who gives in to his emotions, will lose his coordination, and it’s a matter of time before he loses his fight. In the same way, to win in the battle of life you must keep your focus on God’s Word. The only way to keep winning , is to focus on Jesus, not your circumstances.
Paul said in 2 Timothy 4:7-8 ‘I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith…’
Paul kept the faith, because he kept his focus. He said in Philippians 3:14 ‘but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus’.
As Paul fought the good fight of faith, he kept his gaze locked on his high calling, and nothing could move him from his purpose. He said in Acts 20;24 ‘But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I have.’
A man who will not be moved will soon see his mountains move; it is only a matter of time.
Paul was steadfast, refusing to be distracted by his many persecutions. He realized that as a soldier of Christ, he could not be entangled with the affairs of this life, he could not dissipate spiritual energy on mundane things, he must keep his gaze on finishing his course, on arriving at his preordained victory, because that is all that matters in the end.
To have victory, you must maintain your focus. The world is full of distractions; so many things calling your name, seeking your attention, trying to shift your focus, trying to derail you from your course. But refuse to be moved. Let your focus always be on the Word. Be controlled by the Word. Keep filling your heart continually with the Word, until your actions are dominated and controlled by what God says. When your heart is full of the Word of God, there will be no room for frivolities. Like Jesus, you will say ‘My meat is to do the will of Him that sent me,’ your primary concern will be only to please God. And when that happens then you can be sure of victory, because God Himself will arise and fight your battles.
PRAYER: Lord, help me to fight the good fight of faith, help me to remove distractions and focus only on your Word always in Jesus Name.
QUOTE
Whatever doesn’t kill you will eventually end up strengthening you. – WORDBITE 222.
[ADAPTED FROM THE BOOK FAITH CLASSICS]