Wanna Get Away?

I think retreating has been given a bad rap…

The last thing we want to do in a war is to be forced to retreat. We never want to leave the battle un-won or the task unfinished. We don’t want to be seen as weak or fragile, unable to accomplish our objectives. We don’t want to back down from a fight. We don’t want to retreat from our positions. If someone challenges our beliefs or our rights, the last thing we would want to do is back away from the challenge. Retreating has been given a bad rap.

Often we see retreating as an admittance of defeat, that we weren’t strong enough to handle something on our own. We don’t like to be told that we can’t do it, that we aren’t strong enough, or that we simply aren’t up to the challenge. Sometimes, however, we need to be able to retreat, to take a step back, look at the situation more clearly, and reevaluate our position. Sometimes retreating is a necessary step in order to preserve the war or the warrior.

Now, for those of you wondering, this article has absolutely nothing to do with the war in Iraq or any other political item on the agenda. Instead, I want you to focus on the idea of a spiritual retreat. There is nothing dishonorable about escaping from the world for a time and spending time in prayer and worship with others of like mind. Jesus did it all of the time. Throughout the Gospels we find Jesus escaping from the hectic bustle of his ministry in order to spend time in prayer. “Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed…” (Mark 1:35) Jesus often commanded his followers to do the same:

“The apostles gathered around Jesus and reported to him all they had done and taught. Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, he said to them, ‘Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.’ So they went away by themselves in a boat to a solitary place.” (Mark 6:30-32)

I think the Southwest Airlines commercial has it right: Sometimes you just want to get away. So often, however, we as Christian refuse to step out of our daily lives and spend time focusing solely on worshiping God. We get caught up in the good stuff of life (work, school, family, etc) that we neglect the best (our relationship with God).

Sometimes we need to spiritually retreat, to step back from our daily battles, look at our situation more clearly, and reevaluate our position in life. There is no dishonor in retreating; indeed, it is commanded in order to preserve the spiritual war that we fight and our place as a spiritual warrior.

Spiritual Warfare

I pray that God is richly blessing each of you today! I have had a crazy, stressful week, but God is ALWAYS good so I know it will be ok.

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I recently began watching the series “Band of Brothers.” I am amazed at the inhumanity that war brings out of relatively normal human beings. When placed under extreme duress, the average human has a number of possible reactions in order to deal with their psychological stress:

1. Avoidance: These soldiers simply avoid the trials of combat by retreating, either physically or psychologically. Many of these soldiers simply retreat in on themselves, finding themselves hiding in a foxhole or staying out of combat completely. These soldiers have fallen into the idea that surviving is victory, and all of their energy is spent in personal retreat and survival.

2. Following: These soldiers simply go with the flow, following whatever they are told to do. They will follow anyone who shows initiative, whether it is good or bad. They simply look for someone to tell them what to do, how to behave, what to think… These individuals simply follow the strongest, most dynamic, or most ambivalent leader, regardless of where they are headed.

3. Average Joe Syndrome: Most soldiers simply go about their duty, following their training, putting one foot in front of the other. They see an objective that needs to be accomplished, and they go out and accomplish the objective with very little fanfare and, subsequently, very little credit. They simply plug away, doing what they are trained to do and what comes naturally. The vast majority of soldiers fit into this category, simply going about their duty.

4. Heroism: Some soldiers, in the heat of battle, rise above the moment and rise to the occasion. They don’t just achieve their objectives, they go above and beyond the call of duty. They seek out what needs to be done in order to help the unit advance, and they go to extraordinary lengths to accomplish their objectives. These average soldiers rise to the occasion and accomplish extraordinary tasks. They are not overly special, they are not made great heroes, they are no different than almost anyone else out there. They simply overcome their fears and their limitations and rise to the occasion to accomplish whatever is needed.

These observations are obviously VERY limited and do not cover the whole range of possible actions for soldiers on the field. However, I think they provide and excellent foundation.

And I have to ask myself the question, which category do I fit in in my own spiritual battles? What type of spiritual soldier am I? If Paul is right, each of us is in our own spiritual battle and we must decide how we are going to react to the trials/temptations that we face. Are we going to retreat and pretend the battle doesn’t exist? Will we simply follow whichever path seems easiest, regardless of the consequences? Will we simply avoid temptation, but rarely TRULY fight back? Or will we rise to heroic proportions in our battle against the Evil One? The type of spiritual soldier we will for the Kingdom is directly related to our reaction to the spiritual battles within our own lives. Let us pray that we act as heroes.

More to come…