Through circumstances I could not control, I got involved in watching a ROCKY movie... the prize-fighter. Of great interest was Rocky's massive training program. It was intense. He pushed his muscles and endurance literally to the limit. I winced.
I could hardly take the boxing ring scenes. I watched in horror as Rocky received a brutal beating, blow after blow. He got up from each knock-down and lunged full force into the fight. Why?
Rocky endured both the rigorous, unrelenting stringencies of his training so that he could WIN THE FIGHT. Getting beat up during the fight was simply a by-product, a minor hindrance (as Rocky saw it), to the process of WINNING.
Now why would I, a slight bit of a person, need to see that movie? I thought. I'm certainly NOT interested in training for the arena... or any fight.
So... that is when The LORD started speaking to my heart about it... about training for the fight.
HE+ pointed up the intensity of Rocky's training. Massive, enduring, all-consuming training. Rocky did nothing and ate nothing except what was conducive to building up his boxing skills... his boxing strength... his endurance in the arena. All fluff was removed from his life while he CONCENTRATED 100 % on his training. He focused on one thing and one thing only: THE BIG FIGHT. Rocky was single of eye.
"Now," The LORD said, "that's what I want you to do."
I became instantly sobered and ... gulped. I am not a fighter. This kind of fight entails putting to death the Self, big-time. No more petting myself. No more allowing myself treats. If Rocky could do this for his prize, why cannot I do this for mine?
The Apostle Paul did it. We have the same HOLY SPIRIT. We have the same LORD and SAVIOR, JESUS CHRIST. We have the same amount of victory allotted for us as the Apostles and other martyrs and confessors had.
There simply is no excuse. We do not want to fight the biggest battle, the biggest hurdle in walking with CHRIST JESUS... ourselves.
Let us fight the GOOD FIGHT OF FAITH. Let us join our hearts with the Apostle Paul and learn to live this out:
But what things were gain to me,
those I counted loss for CHRIST.
Yea, doubtless, and I count all things loss
for the excellency of the knowledge of CHRIST JESUS my LORD:
for Whom+ I have suffered the loss of all things,
and do count them dung,
that I may win CHRIST,
and be found in HIM+,....
That I may know HIM+,
and the power of His+ resurrection,
and the fellowship of His+ sufferings,
being made conformable unto His+ death;
If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead.
Philippians 3: 7-11, excerpts
