Fight the Good Fight

Even in its beginning, social media has created divisions and fights among people, including strangers.  I would like to say that I’m innocent in not getting involved with these petty arguments, but I am not.  Recently I realized that certain people bait you into fights that are just not worth fighting.  This week, after I was unfortunately baited, I decided there are things worth fighting for, but no one is fighting over them.  So, let me start. 

We need to fight for the poor.  We need to get off the Internet, get off our couches, and go into our communities that are inflicted with poverty and discover what we can do for and with them.  As a teacher in an urban community that needs this help, I can testify that we need tutors and speakers who are encouragers.  We need people to help others how to manage their businesses, apply for jobs, create budgets for their families, and provide housing and life skills for the homeless.  I hope one day we will argue that our good deeds are the ones we need to apply to helping the poor.  There are 60,000 homeless people in Los Angeles County.  What are the petty arguments we are having?  We cannot wait for the government to do anything.  It’s too late for that, both or all parties. 

We need to fight for kindness.  On Tuesday, we will remember the horrific tragedy of 9/11 that occurred seventeen years ago.  A day that was full of terror led by hate has been turned into a day of kindness.  Organizers are challenging us to do one act of kindness for others on this day.  I hope we will be kind all day long and begin to create it as a habit to be kind. 

We need to fight for selflessness.  We need to think of others before ourselves.  We can love ourselves when we begin to love others.  Do we truly love others and ourselves when we shove and push to be first or to get ahead in our industry, and then in the future despise the results that we received?  Serving others and putting their needs above mine has never resulted in my getting behind.  It’s actually resulted in me getting ahead. 

This is incredibly idealistic.  Some will say I’m silly and not very wise.  That’s okay.  They may also say that about the one I learned all this from…Jesus.  Jesus fights for us.  He fought for us on the cross, conquering death, and he fights for us every day with his mercy.  I’m in no way perfect in any of this.  In fact, I wrote this more for myself than anyone else.  When I began my journey to overcome the hurt the church inflicted on me, it was only through these fights that I truly recognized my flaws and how my hurts turned into health.  There are some things worth fighting for.  I want to live my life by the following words: “Fight the good fight of the faith.  Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses.”  1 Timothy 6:12 (NIV)