“Like warriors they charge; like soldiers they scale the wall. They march each on his way; they do not swerve from their paths.”
– Joel 2:7 (ESV)

When I think of warriors, usually images of Mel Gibson in Braveheart or Russell Crowe in Gladiator come to mind. In these characters we see courage, conviction and a sense of purpose larger than life. In the world of sports, we like to see athletes compete with a warrior mentality. Former Major League pitcher Nolan Ryan is remembered as a warrior. The inside part of the plate was his and he didn’t mind knocking you on your backside to prove it. Mike Singletary played professional football with a desire and intensity few have duplicated, but many remember. Have you ever noticed how short most obituaries are? Everything in our life’s resume gets boiled down to just a few sentences. How do you want to be remembered? Hall of Fame, career victories, championships or as a warrior who passionately loved God.

There is no retirement plan in our walk with God. He wants us to be warriors in our faith for as long as we have breath. Jay Bennett loves God. A successful corporate attorney and founder of the outreach ministry Christian Oil, Bennett puts it this way. “My advice is to make sure you die in battle. It’s good to know what your desired outcomes and objectives are, but you never know what’s going to happen in life. The key is to live intentionally, with passion, for a cause that’s worth your life. And then die bloody. I plan to go down swinging; I want to die in battle.” Now that’s a model for life to strive for!

Heavenly Father, make me a warrior for You today. Strengthen me in the fight for things that have eternal value. In Jesus’ name, Amen.