This past weekend I
watched one of my favorite movies, Rocky IV.
Actually, I love Rocky I, II, and III too. I mention this because in preparing to write
this article, it dawned on me how some aspects of life parallel boxing. It appears the Apostle Paul thought so
too. The Amplified Version of 1
Corinthians 9:26, says, “I do not box
like one beating the air and striking without an adversary.” He uses the boxing metaphor to describe how
we fight life’s battles.
Yes, life has its
battles, and they can be downright tough! In addition to the usual bouts with sickness,
death of loved ones, broken relationships, financial straits, unemployment, haters,
depression, and other circumstances, there are those extraordinary, I-cannot-believe-this-is-happening
occurrences which suddenly appear threatening to knock us out.
Throughout my life, I
have had my share of these painful blows. The force behind the punches sometimes knocked
the wind out of me. At other times, I
got pushed against the ropes. Some hits
have knocked me down, and I have even come close to the full count while
sprawled on the mat; but the Lord graced me to do a “Rocky Balboa.” It may have looked like I was down for the
count, but I was never knocked out. I
got back up.
Thinking about how Rocky’s
much larger and built-Ford-tough opponent, Drago, pummeled him blow after blow,
brought to mind similar circumstances that tried to beat me down. Yet, just like Rocky, I emerged
victoriously. Not easily, but victoriously. Bearing a few cuts and maybe a black eye, but
victorious nonetheless. I don’t know how
Rocky won, but without a doubt, I know the Lord Jesus graced me to be the
victor!
I am not unique. We are all subject to life’s battles. I Peter 4:12 (NLT) admonishes, “Dear friends, don’t be surprised at the
fiery trials you are going through, as if something strange were happening to
you.” We should not be surprised
when faced with trials. They are going
to come. BUT, I Corinthians 15:57 (AMP)
says, “But thanks be to God, Who gives us
the victory [making us conquerors] through our Lord Jesus Christ.” With Jesus as our Lord, we are also
destined to win. He’s provided us many
strategies to overcome, but there is one I want to focus on in this article.
In my 36 years of
being saved, I have witnessed a tactic of the enemy to which many Christians
succumb when fighting a battle--they STOP going to church. I cannot stress this enough: when going through battles, even the extraordinary-looking
kind, it is vital to KEEP GOING TO CHURCH!
This is assuming you attend a church where the Spirit of God moves, and
the truth of God’s Word is taught and preached.
If you are not in a church like that, please find one.
I know “church” is
becoming less popular in our culture.
People are resistant to “organized religion” or anything that resembles the
norm or how their parents or grandparents worship. Nevertheless, the church is God’s heart. The church is not a building; it is a congregation of people. In fact, the word “church” comes from the Greek
word “ekklesia” which means “called out assembly.”
It’s through God’s
church that we are nourished, nurtured and sustained. Ps. 92:13 (KJV) states, “Those that be planted in the house of the Lord shall flourish in the
courts of our God.” Getting your
roots planted deeply into the house of God helps give you the tenacity,
stability and strength necessary to overcome your battles. You will be like the trees standing after
enduring hurricane force winds because of their deep roots. They don’t blow away with every opposing
wind. In Jeremiah 3:15 the Lord promises
to give us pastors according to his heart who will feed us knowledge and understanding. This feeding makes us grow strong. It helps us understand who God is and who we
are. It helps us understand why we may
be going through. The worship helps us
focus on God instead of our problems.
This results in our flourishing.
When you stop attending, you cut yourself off from the food of God’s
Word necessary to live this life and overcome.
You also cut yourself off from the manifest work of the Spirit and the
power that comes through corporate worship.
You become weaker in the fight.
Not only that, but Hebrews
10:25 (NLT) states, “And let us not
neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another,
especially now that the day of his return is drawing near.” As the day of Christ’s return gets closer,
the Lord knows the warfare will intensify.
Thus, He commands us to gather together (assemble) and encourage one
another. What better place to do this
than the church?
The five-fold ministry
gifts are placed in the church to help you overcome. Ephesians 4:12 says they are given for the
perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the
body of Christ. You are part of the body,
so when you expose yourself to these gifts, you are perfected and built
up. The gifts of the Spirit in I
Corinthians 12 also operate in the local church to encourage, strengthen, comfort,
heal, and deliver. When you stop
attending, you separate yourself from the gifts God has provided to build and
strengthen you.
I know it is difficult
to press your way when you are facing adversity. When Child Protective Services attempted to unjustly terminate my son’s and his wife’s parental rights to their children, my
grandchildren, my family went through hell.
The fierceness of the battle made it tough just to get out of bed in the
morning, let alone go to church. Nevertheless,
every Sunday, every Wednesday, every special event, we pressed our way to the
house of God. Many times, all I could do
was sit in the back of the church and cry.
But God met me there. Every guest
speaker who came to our services over a six-month period gave me an encouraging
word. My pastor’s messages spoke to the very
feelings and situations I was experiencing at the time. He fed me knowledge and understanding. Then there were the hugs, the financial
blessings, the kind words, and above all, the prayers of the saints that helped
get us through. God honored our pressing.
The devil wants to
isolate you by luring you out of the sheepfold and away from the shepherd so he
can weaken and pick you off. Don’t
give in to the temptation to abandon church.
Don’t starve yourself spiritually.
You need the nourishment your assembly provides to get through what you
are going through. Once you get through
it, you will discover you grew stronger because you consistently fed your spirit
and exercised your faith.
Countless times in the
midst of someone’s trouble, I hear these words, “I feel like giving up.” I then ask, “What does giving up look like?” More often than not, giving up means ceasing
to pray and attend church. My next question
is, “How is that going to help your situation?
Will giving up make it better? I
would rather continue seeking God and put myself in a position to receive a word
or a miracle, than sulk at home with no hope of deliverance.”
So I say to you, keep
pressing. I know it’s hard, but have the
determination of Rocky Balboa. Say to
yourself, “I may get hit hard and often, but I am not stepping out of this ring.
Ultimately, through Christ, I win!” Be planted in the house of God.
