YES! Warriors!
I think people often get confused on why we chose to call ourselves Warriors. When you think of what a warrior is, what comes to your mind? Maybe a barbaric image of a caveman holding a club.. Maybe its of a Solider, fighting for his country.. Maybe it's a Samurai warrior wielding a sword, running into the battle.
"The unwritten Samurai code of conduct, known as Bushido, held that the true warrior must hold that loyalty, courage, veracity, compassion, and honor as important, above all else. An appreciation and respect of life was also imperative, as it added balance to the warrior character of the Samurai. He was often very stoic with a deep and strong philosophical passion. He could be deadly in combat and yet so gentle and compassionate with children and the weak."
Thats how I see us. Warriors running into a battle. No armor on the back. Fighting the enemy through hard work and dedication. I see us in that way, but not wanting to hurt anybody.. We are warriors in a different sense, fighting the enemy of the spirit. Battling through the tough stuff to stand for our beliefs.
There is a war constantly happening.. This war might not be something you are aware of, even.
This war is deadly, this war can break up marriages and families.. This war can tear friends apart.
It's the war of the mind.
It's the war of the spirit.
I am under constant assault of my mind and soul. I struggle on a daily basis with wanting to be liked, and with depression. I struggle through the stresses of this world, the bills and the hard work. I struggle with my walk with my God when other Christians want to tell me how far I have fallen.. Or what a victim I am! "Poor Valerie, she's just a little girl.. She can't handle this!"
And then I laugh.
And I laugh hard! We ALL struggle with these things, I am just more open about it!
My future husband and I are consciously working everyday in the battlefield of our mind and soul. I have to be on guard for these things, because when I go on "auto-pilot" and just go through the motions of life, I always open my eyes at the point of feeling so low and say "What is going on here? Why am I depressed?"
I know why.. I haven't been on guard lately. I have been nose to the grindstone, get through this day! I have had so many struggles and when I reach out to people I get burned in the end. I found this verse today and it really speaks to me.
Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life.
Proverbs 4:23 (NLT)
The path I will take in life is all determined by what is in my heart. And my heart was being shoved in the wrong place of wanting to be liked!! This is a big thing I am working on to get out of my life. I mostly do not care what other people think about me, but it is human nature to want fellow humans to accept you.
This is where the battle comes in.
This is where I go into my mind and figure out what is true, and what is holding me back. Here is some truths:
It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in man.
Psalm 118:8 (NLT)
DUH. Thank you, God. I have wanted so bad to take refuge in a friend. I have wanted so bad to connect with fellow Christians. I really understand why people are so afraid of religion. Most Chrisitans do not remember this Psalm, and its the VERY MIDDLE of the Bible!
I am a Warrior. A Dedicated, Loud, 100% committed Warrior for our God.
I will not be stopped by man on our mission to Awaken the people of this Earth.
No Armor on the back.
