Fight the Good Fight of Faith: Building a Good Support System
By: Gregory
Winfield
In 1 Timothy 6:12 we are told
to fight the good fight of faith. Our faith battles in life can be difficult.
Not only are our individual battles difficult, we are burdened by watching our
loved ones go through battles of their own. Add to
that, the fact that we're bombarded by negative information and images in the
environment in which we live. With the proverbial "cards stacked against
us", it's extremely important that we have a good support system around us
to help when we're in the middle of a faith fight.
The sport
of boxing is one of my favorites. I suppose it has to do with the fact that
boxing is a battle of wills. There are no teammates to depend on to buoy you up
or to drag you down. What happens in the boxing ring depends solely on your
training, your skill and your will. One of the factors in boxing that rarely
gets recognition are the corner men.
Corner men
bounce into action in the 60 seconds between each round. Corner men provide
water to the fighter. They can see things from a different vantage point than
the fighter, so they are able to give advice in regard to the opponent's
weaknesses. Corner men also bandage and manage fighters injuries sustained
during the fight. A good corner man can close a cut sustained by a fighter in
the first round and allow the fighter to fight on 14 more rounds. Corner men
also provide encouragement and they inspire fighters. With his words alone, a
good corner man can inspire a fighter on to victory.
It's very
important that you find and build a good support system to help you when you
find yourself in the middle of a faith battle. Find people that you trust. People who are going to support you and not become a hindrance to
you in your fight. In my faith battles, my wife is my chief corner
person. In fact, I have a saying that I use when I'm in the middle of a fight
to let her know that I'm in a tough fight and that I'm tired. All I have to say
is, "I'm between rounds" and she immediately jumps into action,
giving me the encouragement I need spiritually to keep me strong during the
fight.
Sometimes
as Christians, when we are in the middle of a battle we feel the urge to
seclude and separate ourselves from our support systems. I want to encourage
you to remain connected to your corner person. Our enemy thrives on the
"divide and conquer" approach. Battles won alone, without the help of
others are very few and far between. Stay connected to your support system,
whether it's a spouse, your church, or your men's / women's group.
As you get
into God's Word and gear yourself up for your next battle, you will find that
the addition of a trusted corner person can make all the difference in the
world to the outcome of your next faith fight.