What is a prize worth fighting for?
As we are currently in what seems to be a perpetual struggle between the eastern and western world, what is all the fighting and rhetoric about? Could there be something behind this fight? Some driving force greater than what meets the eye?
Within the United States media and government right now, there is the rhetoric of fear driving a suspicion and even a hatred of all things Muslim. I personally have been guilty of buying into some of this talk without thinking of the further ramifications. While there is some truth to the talk, we as Christians must spiritually be attuned to what is really being said. When put into a spiritual perspective, much of the current situation changes dramatically.
On the one hand, we have a battle between the civilizations of Judeo/Christianity and Islam. On the other hand there is a deep rooted misunderstanding of one another, and I think of ourselves. I can’t speak much for the Muslim perspective on us, but I would venture to guess it has much to do with the power wielded by the West over the past several hundred years. Many times we have meddled in things we didn’t understand, and gotten burned. Case in point, Osama bin Laden who is public enemy number 1 in the West, was once supported by guess who -the West. In some respects, we have largely underestimated Islam and the Middle East as a force in the modern world.
When it really comes down to it, what are we fighting for? In the West, I would say we are fighting for a few reasons: preservation of a way of life, fear, and pride. We want to keep our gas cheap, our enemies at bay, and ourselves on top.
Here’s where we go wrong: the person of Christ. Those who would call themselves Christians and leaders of a perceived Christian nation don’t know who Christ is, or at least we don’t act like it. Christ doesn’t want us to kill our enemies. He wants us to love them and pray for them (not even but especially) when they persecute us. For a thousand years now, Islam has associated Christianity with War Lords and war. This began in the Crusades and is only perpetuated today by the [correct] impression of western Christianity as being so entwined in American government. In the 4th century, the Pope went to bed with the Emperor Constantine. Today, we continue to do the same as Christians.
Therefore come out from them and be separate, says the Lord. Touch no unclean thing, and I will receive you.
2 Corinthians 6:17
They committed adultery with their idols; they even sacrificed their children, whom they bore to me, as food for them.
Ezekiel 32:37b
We, as followers of Christ, must determine to separate ourselves. We as the Church must leave our adulterous relationship with our government. We must tell our leaders they are fornicating, turning the Bride of Christ to a whore. We must stop sacrificing our children (in the military) to the idols of safety, money, and country.
Currently, we are entrapped in a war that we as the American church cannot win. If we support the war and defeat our “enemies”, then we have told them that Christ doesn’t love them, but wants to kill them. If we lose this war, they rule us, and they hate us with legitimate reason. Either way, we are fueling a distrust between Islam and Christianity that harms our testimony of the Gospel and our desire to do so.
So in answer to the question posed, “What is a prize worth fighting for”? Our prize right now is security, way of life (money), and our country. As Christians, we should know better. It is disgusting to me that we as a church have largely missed this. We have clung to our lives, let our love of money become our master, and identified ourselves with the kingdoms of this world.
The man who loves his life will lose it, while the man who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life.
John 12:25
No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.
Matthew 6:24/Luke 16:13
10Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. 11Dear friends, I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul. 12Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.
1 Peter 2:10-12
None of these are a prize worth fighting for. We have a prize worth fighting for, as the Apostle Paul said:
12Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. 13Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, 14I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.
Philipians 3:12-14
Let us as individuals and as a church fight for holiness. We must fight off our sinful nature and choose to love one another, and our enemies. This is the only way that they will know Christ, is by his bride the church, being the church. Press on toward the prize my brothers and sisters!
