Fighting Like a Girl

…Be earnest and disciplined in your prayers…Pray at all times and on every occasion in the power of the Holy Spirit. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all Christians everywhere. 1 Pe. 4:7; Eph. 6:18

Most girls, when they fight, flail away wildly – hair falling in their eyes, eyes closed, they swing with great energy, but with little accomplishment. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve seen some phenomenal female warriors, but most girls fight like – well, girls!

We Christians are often guilty of fighting like girls. We pray when the mood hits; we read the Scriptures when the pastor tells us to in church, we study for a couple of minutes when someone asks us a question, we rise in ignorant indignation over issues then quickly fade away. This is no way to win a war. Christ calls us to a life of disciplined prayer. We should not only pray at the meal table or in church, but “at all times and on every occasion.” When we head for the phone, we should ask God to help us have a sweet spirit. When we make up our bed, we should be planning our day with the Lord. As we drive to work, why not ask the Creator for some creative solutions to your day’s problems?

One thing about girls, though, when they do decide to actually train and learn how to fight, they are great. You know why? Because they don’t try to rely on their own strength. They’ve lived their whole lives as “weaker vessels” and so they use their brains instead. Trainers spend half their time with men trying to convince them to use strategy and tactics instead of just wading in and trading punches. With women, if you can show them a sneaky trick, they listen. But we Christians are constantly guilty of relying on our own strength in day-to-day life. We try to figure things out, connive our way out of issues and bills. In the face of debt, God says “Give me your money. Not just the tithe – give Me all of it. Let Me show you what I can do.” And we respond by clutching our bills and change with trembling, palsied little hands. We think His way does not make sense. We think we can out-think God. What we should be doing is praying and acting “in the power of the Holy Spirit.”

Stay alert. Don’t snooze. Look for opportunities to pray. When someone expresses worry over their children, pray with them – right there, right then. Become known as a persistent, habitual prayer warrior. Instead of flailing away uselessly, spending your energy without accomplishment, become disciplined in your spiritual life. Why should it surprise us that when we must exercise physical and mental discipline, we must exercise equally in the spiritual realm?