It’s been a long time since I’ve written anything. It’s been
even longer since I’ve actually sat down and thought about the important things
in life. It all comes down to today, Veteran’s Day. While this day is dedicated
to those who have perished in battle, who have served countless years, and who
are currently overseas, risking their lives for the well being of others, there
is a battle that cannot be seen nor heard, and many become causalities of this
invisible combat.
Military-wise, there are only two types of people on this
earth; those who fight and those who don’t. Those who fight are the ones who
spend hours and days and weeks and months training to become a well oiled
machine, heartless and tough. This is the criterion for serving the toughest
job on earth, because to take a life from another person, you first have to give
up yours. Nobody is ever the same when they come back from war. Those who don’t
fight, they are warriors nonetheless. The battle they fight may not be a
physical one, but it is one that is just as life changing. Soldiers come home
and they may have been shot, lost a limb, or have experienced psychological damage
that will take a lifetime to recover from. But life is a constant battle
between good and evil, and the thing about life is nobody ever makes it out
alive.
Because our time on earth is so brief compared to the whole
life of this earth, it makes it seem that our lives are insignificant. It’s
probably true. Because in the blink of an eye, years have passed, generations
are made, buildings torn down and built up, and kingdoms and cities diminished
to nothing but dust. Wars have been fought, people died, countries in turmoil,
governments overthrown, and money is losing its value. It makes it seem like
anything we do is unimportant. But we forget the important thing that we fight
for, the only thing that makes this life on earth and the struggles within
worth it.
Yes, this is a Christian topic. I will be talking about God
and Satan and heaven and hell. But it does not matter whether you believe they
are real or not. I believe it and I believe it is my job to warn others about
the impending judgment on our souls. But first, I want to make something very
clear before I make my point. I am a Christian. I’m not a perfect Christian. I
don’t pray everyday. I don’t fast. I don’t always tithe. I don’t read the Bible
in my spare time. My relationship with Christ is an ongoing construction and I
try daily to make it a better one. But because I’m human, I’ve often failed. I
admit that it’s a struggle sometimes because it’s hard to believe in something
that cannot be seen. It’s all based on faith. If you stop and think about it
for a minute, the soldiers out there whose blood are spilled on the ground,
they did not see the impact they’ve made on our lives. They could not see what
they were doing for us, yet they were willing to give up their lives for it. The
idea of what they were fighting for is what drives them into battle. That kind
of attitude is what all Christians should adopt and nurture daily. Ask a
soldier you know if it was easy to fight for their country, and I can almost
guarantee they will say no. Being a Christian is not about just love, peace,
and happy thoughts. You don’t get warm, fuzzy feelings when you accept Jesus
into your heart. It’s not like when you drink hot chocolate on a cold morning
and the warmth goes down your body and into your arms and legs. Many think this
is what happens but it doesn’t. The only thing that changes is your conscience.
Your conscience becomes overwhelmed and you feel that you are completely
worthless and there’s no way God will accept you. I believe this is the reason
why many new Christians relapse to their old ways. They don’t think God will
take sin-stained person. So the difference after you become a Christian is you
acknowledge you are fighting a battle and you are completely and utterly
helpless without Christ.
This is not directed to the Christians I know and this is
not to make the unbelievers feel judged or hated on. This is directed to any
person who will read this and take heart to the important message I am
delivering to you.
To be a Christian is not about going to church every Sunday
in your best clothes. To be a Christian is not about denying yourself the
pleasures of this world. To be a Christian is not about who sings “Amazing
Grace” without any mistakes. Ultimately, to be a Christian is not about just
doing good things and thinking that is enough to get into heaven. The fact is
nothing you ever will do or plan to do or even think about doing will be enough
to go to heaven. The attitude that many Christians adopt is that if they do
good deeds and go to church every Sunday and talk to their Christian friends
about how great God is, then they will be given passage through the pearly gates.
If that is what you are thinking right now, I’m sorry to say that you’re wrong.
If you read the New Testament, specifically the four books
known as the Gospel, then you will notice that Jesus is anything but a typical
Christian. Jesus never dressed up nicely or sang songs that we know of. He
didn’t give money to the temples nor did he criticize anyone for not doing so.
Nowadays, we see people protest the government and organizations because they
believed what they were doing were wrong. Jesus was not that kind of person. He
never judged anyone and he never harmed anyone. He never rejected someone
because they weren’t good enough. He forgave a prostitute, healed a man with
leprosy, granted a dying thief a way into heaven, and he forgave his disciples
who doubted him. Every thing this man did was a symbol of love and he had not a
single iota of hatred in him. Yet many Christians today believe they are doing
the right thing but in reality, their attitude is wrong. If Jesus came to earth
today and saw what was happening to his people, he would be disappointed. He
should be disappointed, but being who he is, he still loves us anyway.
I’ve had a discussion with a friend of mine about the
dangers of religion and tradition. While it is okay to practice a religion and
to adhere to tradition, it is important that the two are separate. They are not
the same thing. If we allow tradition to become our religion, then our religion
becomes meaningless. Jesus doesn’t care about tradition. He doesn’t care about
religion. From what I’ve been seeing, religion just divides people instead of
uniting them. And if we practice our traditions as religion, then we become
more susceptible to Satan, who loves to make people believe that we are doing
the right thing. That is why Christians who truly follow Christ are in an
ongoing battle that only ends when they die. To accept Christ is to not receive
a way out of the bad stuff in our lives. To accept Christ is to allow him to
help fight our way through it.
So if you are a Christian, consider yourself to be a
warrior. Some wear a beaten countenance, received from years of relentless
battles with Satan. Others are barely scathed, as they are rookies to the
battlefield. God does not call those who are able to fight a battle. He
transforms them into a mighty warrior, clothed in the whole armor of God.
Ephesians 6:10-18 (NLT)
10A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in his
mighty power. 11Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able
to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. 12For we are not
fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and
authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and
against evil spirits in the heavenly places.
13Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so
you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle
you will be standing firm. 14Stand your ground, putting on the belt
of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness. 15For shoes, put
on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared. 16In
addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows
of the devil. 17Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword
of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
18Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every
occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers
everywhere.
