Good morning, world. Things are looking pretty good from the front porch of my farm in Virginia today. My soul is Refreshed after my time with the Living God this morning, and I my Path has been made Straight with His Word. I’m not JUST a Follower of Jesus Christ…I’m a Warrior, and Warriors take a few more “hits” in this Life than all the others. As a Warrior, I need to be Strong, Ready, Bold, and Fearless…but more than any of the Characteristics that I need to be a Good Warrior…I need to be Kind and Compassion too. It’s not an easy combination to be Bold and Kind all at the same time, and I can’t do it on my own. So, I step into the Presence of my Mighty and Loving God each day to Prepare myself for War and to take on His Character as best I can…and THAT’S where I find the Balance, the Strength AND the Compassion to do what He has for me to do. Isn’t that the way you find your Balance too?

It can be so easy to lose our Balance when we’re faced with adversity, or when we find ourselves in conflict with another. But anybody can roll over and play dead in the midst of the trials and Tribulations, and most people are good at lashing out when they’re feeling hurt or offended. Most of the time when we’re faced with these things, our truest character can show itself in a split second. Some are cowards and they refuse to “get involved” even if the Battle has the potential to harm someone else. Some people spit out insults without blinking an eye, and those words can never be reversed once they’re spoken. Some people point fingers and spin the situation in the direction they want it to go in, or in the direction they THOUGHT you were heading in even when you weren’t. Some people think they’ve been given the supernatural ability to read minds or to test motives, so they think they already know where you’re coming from without you speaking a word. Some people gear up and stay so busy defending their own position that they never stop to hear what yours is at all. Some people have perfected being passive-aggressive and they’ll pout or go silent in the midst of the conflict because they know that it hurts more when they do. There are plenty of people who are entertained by conflict, and they’ll do anything to keep it going – because as long as it’s going they are sure to have your attention…which is all they’re really looking for in the first place. No matter what’s going on or who it’s going on with, the Battle can’t be won when we rely on our own words or our own feelings to get the job done. It takes a Warrior to do battle God’s way. A Warrior that has been Prepared through time spent in the Presence of the One they “fight” for, and a Warrior equipped with the only Words that ever really matter. A Warrior willing to speak up and a Warrior consumed with Compassion. That’s the ONLY way a Battle is ever really one and it’s the ONLY way to Glorify God when we’re at War. Putting on boxing gloves and slinging insults has no place in the Life of a Warrior because War is ONLY ever won with Truth and Love.

There are all kinds of battles we face in this Life, but there is only ever ONE War. There are all kinds of conflicts with all kinds of people that we’ll face along the way too, but there’s only ever ONE enemy. I don’t pick fights and I don’t open a can of worms just so that I can speak Truth. I don’t like conflict and I guard my Peace with everything I’ve got, BUT when God throws me into a situation where I have the choice to be tolerant while His Name and His Character are being questioned OR to stand Firm for Truth…I’m called to be a Warrior. Because I know my enemy very well, I know his subtle ways and I know what he’s up to when he attempts to bend the Truth. Because I know what’s at risk if I stay silenced and if I’m willing to do nothing all in the name of “tolerance” I know when and how to Speak the Truth as a Warrior for God Almighty. I’m not afraid and I’m not worried about being popular. I’m not the Judge or the jury and don’t express what others might perceive to be my “opinions”; I stand up for the Judge and speak for the Truth no matter the consequences I might face in this world because of it. I don’t “hate” others because they don’t believe what I believe…I have Christ-like Compassion for them and I care enough about their Future to speak the Truth to them at all costs. He is my God and I am His Chosen Warrior. I am an Ambassador for the One who hung the stars in the sky and knows them each by name. I am a Child of the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob! I know that if He sent His Son to die for me so that I might have Eternal Life, I need to be willing to die for Him if I’m ever faced with that too. I’m Bold, I’m Strong, I’m Compassionate, I’m Kind AND I’m a Warrior. I’ll be doing battle in His Name for as long as I have life, and when I draw my last weary breath, THEN I’ll see my Victory face-to-face and maybe I’ll hear “well done, good and faithful servant”.

How about you?