GET BACK UP AGAIN
As a little girl of the eighties in a house full of boys one movie was reenacted more than any other. Only one movie theme song was hummed, chanted, and air-guitared to intensify a brother wrestling match or a backyard race. One character was quoted by GI Joes and echoed by Lego figures so repeatedly that no one needed to sight the source. If you don’t know who I am referring to let me give you some hints.
Each of my brothers from one time or another had a gray hooded sweater shirt that they wore as they jogged around the house or neighborhood. If we happened to go to a government building with a lot of cement steps my brothers had to jog to the top arms pumping and finish with a victory dance at the top of the landing. When one of their GI Joe figures was losing the battle without fail you could guarantee the plastic fellow would yell out, “Adrian…Adrian.” And the top song for many years in our home was “Eye of the Tiger,” beating out both El Shaddai (Amy Grant) and Father Abraham (children’s bible song from antiquity).
Yes we loved the movie, Rocky. Though I felt squeamish in the fight scenes I still watched the movies with the boys. I cheered for Rocky, but the best scene of each of the movies was when he got hit so hard that he saw visions of his childhood or his precious Adrian while hitting the ground in slow motion. Blood and sweat flew in the air as we all sprang from our seats to encourage him.
"Get up! Rocky, you aren’t through yet. Stand up!"
In life I find myself feeling like I did in that tense fight scene when I listen to the stories of many of my friends, family, and fellow believers who are fighting serious battles all around me. I pray for the fighting spirit to come alive in these loved ones and friends that they would not lose heart in the heat of the battle. I find myself chanting, “It isn’t over yet, get back up again.”
I am reminded daily that life is full of battles, surprise blows, and cheap shots but I feel that deep within us lies the "Rocky" spirit. Rocky was from the other side of the tracks. He was smaller than he should be and it took him determination and training to actualize his dream, but in the storyline, we learn quickly no dream comes without a price. He had enemies, and there was the strain on the love of his life. He had to make a choice just as we do today to fight for the dream.
In Ephesians 6:11, Paul exhorts us to put on the full armor of God so that we can take our stand against the devil's schemes. I think to get up from the mat we have to first determine in our minds who the real enemy is. If we think that a person is against us or worse yet the whole world is against us we might as well stay down for the count because we have already given up the battle.
I have to remind myself over and over that I don’t wrestle against flesh and blood but against rulers, against authorities, against powers of this dark world and against spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms (Ephesians 10:12). That means that God is on my side always and that people may stand in the way but there is a way around them. There is a blow to the enemy that he can’t stand up against. There is a technique that is difficult to learn but will take down the enemy for the count.
It is…
Forgiveness.
Forgiveness has never been a natural defense move in my skill set. I have been more of a master at keeping records of wrong. Recently as I have decided to write this blog I realize I have a vast memory and hurts are the deepest groves in my recollection. Fortunately there was a day when I decided I had to yield this ancient weapon even if I hated to do it.
I remember I was sitting on the floor in my bedroom. Something like Gloria Estefan was playing on my new CD player when I realized I couldn’t go on. I had a routine, like I am sure many emotional teenagers do, of trying to unwind after school. My favorite way to do this was to feel sorry for myself. I am not sure why this was my go to habit. Could it be the sad songs I loved to listen to on the radio? I don’t know, but on this particular day I sat by my mirror studying my young face with a frown.
I didn’t like what I saw and the temptation was to blame others for all the reasons why. As I looked at myself the Lord spoke to me, “Dianne you need to forgive as I forgave you.”
What? I thought. Trying again to work up the “life’s not fair” emotions. But something supernatural happened for the first time in my life, I felt the hand of the Lord on my back. The many angry and hostile words I imagined saying to my offenders lost their lure. I had to turn off the radio in this strange moment, because I could tell something was changing deep down in my heart. I was beholding the Lord Jesus the ultimate fighter for forgiveness.
For a moment I saw his wounded body on the cross as his own people mocked him. I saw the Roman guards who knew nothing of this “King of Jews” standing aloof and hardened as his blood flowed down for them.
“Father forgive them for they know not what they do…”
Suddenly I was catapulted back to my bedroom. I sat looking at this sixteen year-old girl with brown curly hair and a complicated complexion. “I forgive, I forgive, I forgive,” I said out loud.
The months to follow are still a shock to me today. I made a list of everyone I was upset at and made a vow to talk to each one of them and apologize for my own rude behavior. I made phone calls, and met with teachers and x-friends. With each awkward confession I felt this new weapon growing in my spiritual arsenal.
I declared over my life a new way, a life of love. Slowly the change in my attitude became apparent to others. I wish I could say that I never fell into self-pity again, but that wouldn’t be true and I wouldn’t have much material to write about. No, I must remind myself daily who the real enemy is.
Jesus fought the enemy of our souls that day on the cross with forgiveness. And though he gave his life on the cross the miracle came on the third day when he rose again from the grave. The devil had thrown the final punch and was doing his victory dance as heaven counted 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9…
At the first beam of the light at dawn on the third day there was a rattle in the borrowed tomb. Angels came to witness the “King of Jews” arise from the tomb no longer defeated. Right before the referee could declare 10- he broke through death, hell, and the grave. Shining like the sun he made a way for us. At that moment He won our freedom to live in this new way of forgiveness regardless of the circumstances we will face.
So today if you are down for the count I am standing at the side lines shouting “Get up Champ!” The battle is not over yet. Don’t give up. Get that old “Eye of the Tiger” theme song in your heart and put on the gray hoody and start fighting your real enemy. I declare over you, “Be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power.” (Ephesians 6:10) Remember the devil started the fight with the Son of God before he turned his sights on you. Though the fight might be fierce God has given you the power to give the Knock-out punch!
"Father, Forgive them for they know not what they do…" Luke 23:34