The whole secret of existence is to have no fear. Never fear what will become of you, depend on no one. Only the moment you reject all help are you freed.
Buddha
I am cut from a different cloth. I am absolutely cool with that. There are so many sheepish and undisciplined people in this world. Their's is a group that I try to avoid like the plague. I am truly tired of having people around me that are so inconsistent and have what I refer to as “worrier” spirits. I personally need individuals around me that are willing to go to war for what they believe. Individuals that are willing to stand on their principles in the face relentless opposition. Those that aren’t conformists or will switch sides at the first sign of defeat.
People with “worrier” spirits frustrate me to no end. Why? Simply because they can be nerve racking and pessimistic. They infect every environment that they are in with their negative energy. The unfortunate thing is that most of the time these people work themselves into a frenzy over stuff that they have absolutely no control over. As for me .... I have a Warrior Spirit. Now don’t get it twisted…. I used to have a “worrier” spirit. However, God delivered me from it. I used to expend ridiculous amounts of energy worrying about stuff that was completely beyond my control. Nevertheless I was delivered. Delivered from many of my worries and fears. The day I placed all of my cares on HIM, my life changed… for the better. Once you know who you are and Whose you are you honestly don’t have time to worry or stress over things. You are too busy working towards what you have been divinely appointed to do. I no longer sweat the small stuff. Now certain things that I witness from day to day concern me (i.e., our children’s lack of respect for their elders, people’s lack of compassion for one another, the alarming amount of trash that is considered logic in society these days, people’s simple lack of common sense to name but a few) but I actually don’t worry nearly as much as I used to. One day it just clicked…. Things just are what they are. Simple enough, huh. It took me years to learn how absolutely liberating that mindset is. All the things that I mentioned in the preceding few sentences are things that I have absolutely no control over. Things are what they are and no amount of worrying in the universe can change that. I have found that the best solution to worrying is to expend that energy on something constructive and productive.
I have wasted so many years of my life stressing over stuff that I had absolutely no control over to begin with. All praise be unto Almighty God for delivering me from a “Worrier” spirit. The word of God admonishes us to be anxious for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your request be made known unto God. Once we have done that God, promises that His Peace ( which surpasses ALL understanding) shall keep our hearts and minds guarded against the disappointment and frustrations of this world (Philippians 4:6-7). Listed in the preceding verses from the Book of Philippians are in this humble author’s opinion the key components of having a Warrior Spirit. There can be no fear or indecisiveness in the heart of a warrior. My father tried to teach me this while he was here. I sometimes think he is still taking me to school from the great beyond. So many of the conversations that we had in my youth I remember as if I had them yesterday. He would tell me that there is absolutely nothing wrong with standing up for what you believe in….even if you have to stand alone. He would tell me to never conform to anything unethical for the sake of keeping the peace. He would always tell me that the measure of a man is what he stands for or what he submits to.
Just a word or two about the man I called my father. My father was a veteran of the US Army and served this great country of ours for 22 years through two conflicts only to come home and have to wage war all over again for his God given right to be treated equally and fairly by the country he nearly lost his life defending. May father spent his entire life upon his retirement from the Military trying to be true to the man God wanted him to be in the face of opposition from people from all walks of life. My Father had a Warrior Spirit. He had a fire that could not be put out by the powers that be. He believed that a man has the right to fight for what he believes in…even if that means that he will be ostracized and blackballed for those beliefs. In many ways my father and I share many of the same convictions. Some we differ on as far as the methods one goes about standing up for their beliefs and “fighting the good fight”. Where my father favored the “bull in the china shop approach”… my approach is a little more for lack of a better word “tactical”. Nevertheless, I am the man I am today because of the man father was everyday of his life until the day he passed away. He was not perfect by any means but even his flaws taught me valuable lessons on what it means to stand by ones convictions. (A quick word to the fathers that may read this ….. be the man that you want your son to be and he inturn - following your example - will make you proud. My father’s last words to me before he died was how proud he was of the man I had become).
I am truly grateful to God for granting me discernment. With discernment comes wisdom and ultimately with wisdom come patience. All of these characteristics are essential to those of us with warrior spirits. However, the acquisition of wisdom through discernment can be bittersweet. I say bittersweet because discernment does not always reveal things that are necessarily to our liking. Sometimes enemies rise up in the unlikeliest of places. People’s actions can go from harmless to sinister in the blink of an eye. Attacks can come from out of nowhere and from people we never thought would do us harm. I know. I have experienced “friendly fire” on a number of occasions.
Nevertheless, my Heavenly Father continues to test my resolve. Making me stronger and wiser by the day. Yes… I said stronger and wiser. For the world’s greatest warriors did not depend strictly on brawn and brute strength. Having a warrior’s spirit not only requires strength and stamina but it also requires a moderate amount of intellect and wisdom as well. Plato said that courage is knowing what to do with fear. However, the wisdom of which battles to fight and which ones to concede is not easily acquired and requires a tremendous amount of patience with not only the world around you but with yourself. The key is to stay vigilant. Discretion is truly the better part of valor. Many a battle has been lost in order to win a war. A retreat is not necessarily a defeat. Sure there will be casualties. In wars there always are. This unfortunately is an inevitable fact.
I leave you with a few words that I share with the Almighty on occasion (Some parts of it may sound vaguely familiar to you) I pray that they bless you:
Lord God continue to grant me with Serenity to accept the things I cannot change…. the courage, strength and resources to change the things that I can.. and the wisdom to know the difference. Continue to grant me your protection from the evils of this world, Your discernment to know which battles to wage and those to concede and the spirit to fight on when my soul has become weary and wants to give in to the attacks of the enemy. I know that there is no enemy in the universe that can defeat me as long as I stay true to the plan you have set forth for my life God. There is no one I would rather have by my side as I wage war against the enemies of your will and your word than you God. Please continue to grant me the strength and spirit of a warrior and not one of a “worrier”.
