As You Head Off to the War...

"It started out as a feeling,
Which then grew into a hope,
Which then turned into a quiet thought,
Which then turned into a quiet word

And then that word grew louder and louder
Til it was a battle cry
I'll come back when you call me
No need to say goodbye

Just because everything's changing
Doesn't mean it's never
Been this way before
All you can do is try to know
Who your friends are
As you head off to the war "
- Regina Spektor, The Call

These lyrics from "The Call" are from the movie Prince Caspian. They made me think about the call that we have as Christians and the confidence we are given in our Saviour's faithfulness. Our faith is much like the progression in these lyrics, from the birth of hope to walking that hope out. We read God's word, we spend time in His presence, we feel His hope and our lives begin to radiate that hope. As we allow that hope to grow, our thoughts form to His and He plants seeds of faith, seeds of His purpose for our lives, seeds of life. As we allow those Godly thoughts to grow, as we hope in Him, we speak words of faith. Now once we come to the point of speaking out the Word of God, speaking words of faith, we are entering into war with the enemy.

Our words are powerful, our words can shape our lives and the lives of those around us for the better or for the worse. We can build up, or we can tear down. When we speak words of faith, those planted in us from God's word, from the heart of God, we are speaking out His destiny for our lives. Does your life ever feel like it's a battle? Mine does, especially when I set out to do the thing I believe the Lord is calling me to do. But it's that hope, that faith that resonates inside and propels me to push forward.

Who is with us as we go into this battle? We have to know that God is with us, all we have to do is say the word and He is there. He never leaves us or forsakes us. The second is that there are others heading out into this war with us. God gives us relationships that we are to nurture so that we build each other up and war for each other as we walk through this life. I am so thankful for the friends God has put into my life, we build each other up, when one is weary of the battle, another encourages and keeps our focus strong. We remind each other of where our hope lies, which is something we can forget if we isolate ourselves.

The life we are living is not mere coincidence - we have a call and a purpose. Recall those that have lived lives of faith before us, those who have had great impact in this world for the Kingdom of God, they lived lives of victory, but if they had victory, it means there was a contest to be won. Many times we only hear of accomplishments that people make in this life, but we have to realize that there was a journey toward those accomplishments. God gives us the tools to use, His word, His presence, relationships with each other. We are to use them all, we are to build each other up, we are to develop relationships - with God and with people. "All you can do is try to know who your friends are as you head off to the war..."

Our God is faithful. Our purpose is sure. Our victory is already won.
"Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their labor. For if they fall, one will lift up his companion. But woe to him who is alone when he falls, for he has no one to help him up." - Ecclesiastes 4:9-10