Battle Hardened Soldiers In The Army of God
Battle hardened soldiers are a priceless commodity in any war. From a Spiritual standpoint, God needs battle hardened soldiers in order to share their combat experiences with others who are fighting the same battle they have fought and overcome.
Book knowledge is great. Classroom instruction is wonderful and needed. However learning God’s Word in a clinical setting is only the beginning. Nothing compares to using God’s Word in a practical sense and overcoming problems on the battlefield of your own life. An experienced soldier who knows how to use his weapon is priceless.
The Experience of the Fight
When I was in training to become a Deputy Sheriff, the training staff put us through as many real life scenarios related to the job as possible. Giving us experiences that we never had before took us out of our comfort zone. These experiences broadened our perception of what actual situations on the job would feel like.
[pullquote]Nothing compares to using God’s Word and overcoming problems on the battlefield of your own life. An experienced, battle hardened soldier who knows how to use his weapon is priceless.[/pullquote]
One of these perception broadening experiences was boxing with an experienced boxer. The vast majority of people have never been in a physical fight. Therefore, one block of instruction in the LA County Sheriff’s academy was boxing. I looked forward to boxing in the academy. I am a boxing fan and have always enjoyed the sport from a spectator vantage point. But watching boxing on TV is nothing like climbing into the ring and boxing against an experienced boxer.
I walked away (or should I say, I was carried away) from the ring with a greater respect for boxers and their sport. The experience of boxing taught me that there was so much more to the sport than simply slapping on the gloves and going at it. There is a science to boxing that I never would have known about without going through the boxing experience.
Now that I have a little bit of knowledge about boxing from inside the ring as well as outside the ring, I can talk to someone who has never boxed before with more conviction. I can share with them what it feels like because I’ve been there.
Would you go to a marriage counselor who’s never been married? Would you take driving lessons from someone who has never driven? How about advise on parenting. Would you take parenting advise from someone who has no children? Would you seek financial advice from someone who’s just gone bankrupt?
The Experience of Battle Hardened Soldiers Breeds Credibility
Book knowledge is great; however experiential knowledge wins out every time. Experience breeds credibility. I feel much better seeking knowledge and wisdom from someone who has gone through what I am going through and has come out on the other end successful than someone who has no experience in what I’m dealing with.
God allows us to go through challenges in our lives to give us experiences that we can use to help others go through similar challenges. Never despise your life or what you may be temporarily going through. Acknowledge your challenges. Overcome them with Gods Word. Jot down the combat strategy you used to defeat your enemy. Then share your experience with the next soldier who is fighting the same fight.
For more encouraging messages click HERE