• Annual Mtg Recognitions
  • Passing the Gavel

Do you want to fight?

            Have you ever noticed that people love a good fight? Millions of dollars are spent on great exhibitions of skill and endurance in the ring. People cheer loudly as their favorite fighter lands blow after blow. Now fighting outside the ring is another thing altogether. Some of the best paddlings I got in school were when I decided to fight outside of a ring. It took a while for me to learn that there are times to fight and times to stand down.

Paul writes in 2 Timothy 4:7, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.”  Here, Paul is talking about his relationship with and service to God and the idea of continuing though the difficulties and adversities of life, never quitting or giving up. Today, we don’t seem to have a shortage of people who are willing to fight. We just need to make sure that the thing we are fighting for is something from God.

As the church, we have a reputation for fighting over everything from the color of the carpet to the position of the piano. These things may have some importance but are not worth tarnishing the name of the church and our Lord Jesus Christ. In situations such as these, there can be a difference in taste and preferences. We all have different likes and dislikes and can’t be expected to see eye to eye on all matters. The problem is that we have an adversary who would love nothing more than to make us major on the minors. He will do everything he can to coax us into the ring and to throw the first punch.  He’s not really interested in who wins as long as all parties leave with some injuries and a watching crowd has something to talk about.

I believe there is a time and a place to stand and fight. Let’s just make sure we are fighting the right enemy and not each other. When we feel the need to jump into the ring, let’s make sure our gloves are firmly wrapped around the Word of God and not our personal opinions. Then like Paul, we can say, “I have fought the good fight, and I have kept the faith.”

 

Bentley Hill