I decided to take a few months off from this side of my blog for the summer. There were some pretty serious emotional obstacles I was facing, and I felt like I needed a breather--some time to be led, instead of being a leader in the area of Bible Study. I love the Word, and I love writing this journal, so it would have to be something pretty big to pull me away for so long. And it was. There were two family tragedies, a broken arm and emergency surgery, and a disciplinary encounter with the Holy Spirit. Big. This, on top of the fact that Donnie travels for much of the summer, made the break necessary. I want to share some of the things I learned through this time of trial, but not today. Today I want to pick up where we left off. If you want, go back and read my notes from I Chronicles 10-11, and then meet me back here for the next chapter:
v8 Look at the descriptions of these mighty men:
Men of Valor
Trained for War
Could handle a shield and spear
Faces like the faces of lions
Swift as gazelles on the mountains
These guys were awesome! At the top of their game!
The description of these mighty men stirs something in my spirit. I want to be like them in some way. So how can we translate this to use in our lives? I could take this literally as a charge to muscle up and get fit (never a bad idea I guess...), but I see that the battle I'm most likely to face in this life is a spiritual one. So what would it take for me to become a mighty mom of valor? I have a few ideas, and I'm going to pursue this even more in the near future.
Trained for War
Whether we are aware of it or not, there is a spiritual war being waged around us right now. I believe Satan knows that his side is going to lose, but that he wants to take down as many souls--as many of God's beloved people--as possible before it's over. It's a war. A big part of being trained for it is acknowledging that it's happening. We need to know our enemy, know the tactics he uses, and have a strategy against them. We also need to know what he's not capable of, where he doesn't have power, and where his weaknesses are. Be at the ready. Be unwilling to let the enemy take your friends. Be constantly in prayer for them, talk to them about spiritual things, and be unashamed of your purpose. My favorite battle strategy is to visualize victory. Imagine that friend with you in Heaven, reminiscing about that day you first said hello, first asked about her family, first showed her Jesus. Get your head in the game.
Could Handle a Sword or Spear
I don't have a sword or spear, but Ephesians calls God's word the sword of the Spirit, and I can certainly get better at handling it.
The mighty men of valor probably started training from a very young age, wielding weapons that were too big for them. Eventually their muscles would grow into the training they'd received and all the regimen and exercises would finally make sense. Likewise, we need to train our children in the Word from a very young age, through scripture immersion programs, at home through Bible memorization, and by constantly speaking the Word to them in daily life. Some of these words might be too big for them, but teach them anyway. Someday, just like the warriors, their minds will grow into the words you have taught them. The words will make sense, and they'll be there when your sons and daughters find themselves unexpectedly on the front lines of their own battlefield.
It doesn't stop at teaching the children. If I want to be a mighty mom of valor, I have to make real time to study and memorize the Word. I need my own training, so that I know it like an extension of my arm--being able to turn to the passage I want with little effort. Knowing just where to turn when a friend needs encouragement.
Faces Like Lions
This is the one that intimidates me the most. Nothing phased these guys--they were fierce! I think part of this is because they were first trained for battle and able to handle the equipment. They knew their role, they knew they were capable, and they knew they were ready for anything.
As a believer in Christ and the fact that His Spirit is in me, I know that He will see me through any circumstance. He has proved that to me just in the last few months. But do I practice this? No. I run from it. I avoid it. I've made a point to even not watch the news, because I crumble into a pile of sadness at the evil in this world. But what good does that do in this spiritual fight?
Instead of shielding my sensitive heart from the pain, I should be seeking out those that are hurting and using my resources to help them heal. There are people starving, hurting, being abused, being mistreated and marginalized, who literally have no one to love them, whether I care to look or not. It's happening. I want to look. I want to stop crumbling in the face of evil. I want to stare back and fight with the face of a lion. This is going to take some work.
They were as swift as gazelles on the mountains.
They were fast. They were fit. They weren't lazy. They were ready.
How can I apply this spiritually? Trim the fat. If we want to get into top physical shape, we stop making excuses. We stop cheating. We cut out sodas and the weekly donuts at church. We don't have room for allowances like that.
If we are going to be spiritually ready for anything, we have to stop cheating, too. Stop making allowances for the occasional bad word that slips out, or movies we shouldn't be watching, or attitude problems and temper tantrums. (I'm talking about parents, not just kids.) The idea of being faster than a gazelle also brings to mind a feeling of lightness. What is weighing us down? Is i the way we spend our time, the mountain of stuff we have in the garage or in our homes? (I am totally preaching to myself here.)
I know that I am living under grace and that God can use my mess of imperfections, but that also turns into an excuse. If we want to get into super-spiritual mighty-valor-level shape, we have to trim the fat. Let that stuff go.
Look at the way these warriors are described in verse 14: "..he who was the least was equal to 100 and the greatest to a thousand."
Who do you want to be? Do you want to be a warrior, or one of the thousand? Have you spent a season or two as a lazy Christian? I know I have. It's a pretty regular lifestyle actually. Getting by with the least amount of effort. Comparing myself to others worse off than I am, instead of striving for a higher goal.
I don't think I'm spiritually obese, but I'm flabby at best. There is much training to be done before I could be called fit--let alone a warrior! This has given me much to think about and much to pray about.
Look at verse 22. There was a great army like the army of God. Don't forget that you are not doing this on your own strength. There is an ARMY OF GOD behind you and in front of you! Just like God made your muscles to be used and strengthened when give with healthy food and exercise, He made your spirit able to grow when fed and exercised too.
Is this speaking to you? I have to admit, I was skeptical that I would glean anything earth-shaking out of Chronicles. I kinda wanted to skip it. I was wrong. This is what God's Living Word does! It reaches into your life, right where you are, and speaks to you! Changes you! I know I titled this post, "How to be a mighty mom of valor." That's just where I am, and how it's going to work in my life. How will it work in yours?