A Warrior Inside Of Me

When I first met my present MMA trainer Steven Smith, he asked me if had ever fought before. My answer was yes. Then he asked me why I wanted to train to be a better MMA fighter. Besides following my personal belief that God had a plan to use it as a ministry outreach to connect with others, I told him that “there is a warrior inside of me.” With this single answer, I set myself up to be tested in every aspect of my life.  MMA, relationships, school, work, family. God was going to reveal whether or not I was truly a warrior for Him. The point was not training to be a better MMA fighter; the point was finding the true warrior within me. I believe God can use any situation we are in and God can use any battle we face to reveal our warrior spirits. We don’t have to step inside an actual MMA cage to be warriors. There is an Enemy who is fighting us in the battlegrounds of our relationships, families, churches, schools, workplaces and minds. And His main desire is to submit us into apathy, tap us out from our destiny and win by decision because we didn’t obey the Holy Spirit. I’m in the cage of life, and my opponent is Satan. He wants to steal my victory, but I won’t let him. God has pre-determined Satan’s eventual defeat before time began, and I need to remember that Jesus has already won the victory. I’m on the winning side, and I want to embrace the warrior God created me to be. I will not back down. I will not give up. I will not tap out. Once my fight is over, I will stand before God’s throne, and there will stand Jesus raising my hand in victory as a winner.

Glory Filled Victory!

Two men in the Bible were said to be meek: Moses and Jesus. When you look at the outcome of their lives, you realize that there is something important about meekness. In history, the term meek was used with war horses. When a horse would submit to its rider, they would become of one mind and body, and the power harnessed from that connection was almost unstoppable. As a fighter, you really do not know how you will react in the ring/cage until your first fight. Some first-time fighters go crazy. They are unable to control their movements; and the skill, endurance and strength they acquired from months of training go out the window. Other fighters, however, stay focused, listen to their trainers and patiently wait for the right moments to move. Before I got into the cage, I subdued all my emotions. I knew exactly where my trainers were and I did everything they told me to do. When the fight went from stand-up to the floor, I listened for my new directions. When I took top mount, I kept my body controlled for several seconds while my opponent twisted and pulled under me.  Finally when my trainers told me to strike, I did with all the strength and energy I had in me. When the fight was over, I fell to my knees and released all my emotions, thanking God for getting me through to the end. God wants us to be meek, so He can pour His power into our lives. When we let go of the control and allow God to ride and direct our lives, there is no stopping what we can do for His kingdom.

God, I want my life to fulfill every purpose that You have for it, and I know that I’ll only be able to achieve those victories if I’m submitted to Your authority. I want my life to have meaning. I want to make a difference for eternity. I know that I can’t do it on my own. Please, guide and direct my life. Teach me to stay so sensitive to Your Spirit that I’ll make the smallest adjustments and changes without hesitation. I pray this in Jesus’ name, Amen.