Fight!

Fight!

1 Timothy 6:12 AMPC

[12] Fight the good fight of the faith; lay hold of the eternal life to which you were summoned and [for which] you confessed the good confession [of faith] before many witnesses.

Two things are asked from the man to whom Paul was writing this letter to, which was Timothy. Here was a young man rhat was mentored by Paul, and became a useful tool in the hands of God. He was born to a Jewish mum and a Greek father, which was a problem in those days. However, as we now know, my past has no bearing on my future. All of God's plans for me are not tied to my circle of influence, bank account balance, ability or capability. God will achieve all He sets out to achieve, no matter what my response or reaction to His leading may be. Let the whole world be lairs; God remains faithful to His Word. He is the One who can take a man from the prison in one night and make him the prime minister of a nation by the next night. He is the One who can turn acute famine in one night into a season of abundance by the next night. That is the God Paul knew, and sought to introduce to the young man Timothy. 

The charge to Timothy is both sobering and inspiring. You will have to fight the good fight of the faith, because this faith is worth fighting for. It is a faith that several people died trying to sow into the hearts and lives of other people. This is the faith that Jesus gave his life to establish, and for which He has given His Holy Spirit to continue to inspire and encourage us to hold on and persevere, no matter what comes our way. I believe that is why Paul could say, with confidence, "for me to live is Christ, and to die is gain'. This comes from an unshakeable confidence in the ability of God to be faithful to His promise, and to provide all  I need for life and Godliness. It is very important that I clarify if what I hold is the real deal. Would you fight for something whose value you cannot define or whose value you do not know? Would you lay down your life for what cannot guarantee you eternal life? 

I wonder why FIGHT is used to describe what this exercise entails, and one definition of FIGHT is 'struggle to overcome, eliminate, or prevent'. This gives me an idea of what God is demanding of me. He is not asking me to fight like one beating the air or one who fights aimlessly or without reason, but He has given me something to look forward to. There is a purpose behind the fight, an enemy to oppose and defeat and a victory to maintain and uphold. The end is eternal life, which, as the verse above makes clear, is what God calls us to in the first place. It is the pursuit of eternal life with God that has made me confess His name before many people, and why I hold on to Him, no matter what comes my way. My confession of faith is a testimony that I know who I have believed, and I am holding on to Him to the end. Let this be your encouragement too; God has not changed, and He will not leave us alone. God's time of favour is here.