Wars and Love Stories

There is a question that looms deep in the heart of every man.  It is the question that, as young boys, drew us to toy guns and action figures. It is the question that as men draws us to those epic movies.  Movies like Gladiator, Rocky, The Patriot, and Braveheart.  The women tend to think it’s because we just like violence and action and gore.  Oh no!  That is not the reason. The reason is because of this deep and abiding question that lurks in the depths of our heart.  It haunts us every day.  I don’t think I could describe this question any better than John Eldridge did in his book Wild at Heart: Do I have what it takes?  This is the question that lurks in the shadows of every man’s soul.  Am I enough?  When that day comes, will I rise or will I cower?  Will I fight or will I run? Will I be victorious, or will I be defeated?  It’s the same reason we are drawn to sports and all forms of competition; the rules of engagement are clear, a battle is fought, and one man (or team) stands victorious, and another defeated. We are filled with joy when our team wins, as if it was us who won.  Yes…because we are living vicariously through them as we watch…seeking daily to answer that looming question in our hearts. The soul of every man craves a battle to fight!

There is a question that looms deep in the heart of every woman as well. It lurks in the shadows and haunts them, just as a man’s question does. That question is: Will I be loved?  Will I win the heart of a man? Will I be adored? Once again… Am I enough?  It’s the reason they played with Ken and Barbie as a little girl.  It’s the reason they begin dreaming and planning their wedding day even as a child. And in our age, as they live with husbands who have neglected them, it’s the reason they are sucked into romance novels.  They live vicariously through the characters, seeking something their soul yearns for.

When we see common instincts in all of us, we would do well to ask ourselves how they got there, and why? Is God speaking to us? Oh yes! He is! And if you don’t find the answer, you will live your 80 years on this earth only to come to the end and realize: I never truly lived!

My friend, I am going to answer these questions for you if you will listen. I don’t write as a proud man who has all the answers but as a man who has most certainly learned the hard way. 

Men,

If you call yourself a Christian. If you call yourself by that great and glorious name of Jesus Christ, our commander-in-chief, who has shed His blood for you. I beg you, as your brother in Christ, to rise up and fight!  You want to know if you have what it takes?   You are receiving your answer right now!  What battle are you fighting?  Are you waging war in your business and career?  Are building your kingdom?  Are you filling your accounts and slaying the American Dream.  I ask you now…where are you waging war?  Where is your conquest? If it is of this world, you have missed the mark.  You have missed the entire point of the Gospel itself.  You will stand before Him on that day, the One who placed that very question within your heart, and you will have your answer! You were created to fight, yet you did not. You never picked up your sword. You fought the wrong fight. You will be ashamed. You were like that man in Gladiator who was in the midst of the coliseum.  The battle raging all around him.  Only instead of fighting, as that man did, you’re playing with your G.I Joes on the ground, oblivious to the real war that is raging around you.

I do not write these things to shame you. I was that man. I am pleading with you as your brother in Christ. Pick up your sword! Rise up and fight!  Put away the distractions of this age: the pursuit of money, the pointless hobbies, the entertainment of this world, and social media. It is because of these things that you are being mutilated by the enemy on the field of battle.  Fight for the souls of men!  Fight for the heart of your wives.  Fight for your children. Pursue Godliness! Throw yourself into His Word!  It is your only hope of victory. Remember the words of our brother Paul, no soldier in active service entangles himself in the affairs of everyday life, so that he may please the one who enlisted him as a soldier. (2 Timothy 2:4)

Women,

If you are a daughter of God, I’m writing to you. We know the divine plan is that your husband would model Christ to you. That he would lay down his life for you. That he would nourish and cherish you. We also know this is not happening in most homes today. Do not fixate on your husband’s neglect. If he is truly a believer, God will have His way with him.  Never forget that the relationship with your husband is only a shadow of the real thing. It is only a symbol of something infinitely greater.  It merely points you to Him.  Your husbands love will never quench the thirst of your soul. 

So therefore, cast off the distractions of this age and pursue the One who has pursued you. Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you. (James 4:8) The authentic and eternal love story is at your fingertips. Throw yourselves into His word and be filled with His Spirit.  Everything you are yearning for is in those pages. Do you see the divine irony of it? Men playing G.I Joe on the battlefield while the real fight rages around them. Women reading fictional stories of romance while authentic and divine eternal love is right in front of them for the taking. I am not talking about right and wrong. I’m talking about what you’re missing out on! Cast yourselves into His arms and you will find that all the love stories of this world are not worthy to be compared with the adoration that awaits you.

Check out my blog on A Season of Examination! if you find yourself yearning for more…