Some - when provoked. . . react instead of reflecting or fight instinctively and not rationally. Do you see this in yourself or in someone you know? The ability to fight does not make a man, it is his character that counts. Another way to think - could you fight if you had to? Probably but should you fight? Is the difficult question.
We, those who strive to be a Knight of the 21st Century works to develop their character. For example: A K/21 knows aggression for self-esteem is irrelevant, that being part of a conflict does not prove manhood, that a strong man finds ways to avoids fights but knows when he must fight, he fights to win. He also knows it is better to be a part of a 'relational team' - a man that recognizes that significant parts of his life are to be lived within relationships (this is the third step to authentic manhood). So yes, we fight when needed but how we do so is based on the character we develop and what we want our loved ones to see of us. We learn to read people and to understand their motivations. We must be willing to forgive, to act with courage and to be decisive in all that we do. These are key aspects of our character. As to when we have to fight for something - it is only when required. To do so successfully, we learned of the aspects required. Let us know if you would like to understand those details or if you have questions. | And for those who have served in our military, I thought these words from "Fearless" (the book about the life and service of Navy SEAL Adam Brown) were also very good to know: The Warrior function is... unmistakable in Scripture. The mature believing man is often as a warrior equipped to battle mighty enemies and shatter satanic strongholds. The heart of a warrior is a protective heart, one who shields, defends, stands between and guards. He invests himself in "the energy of self-disciplined, aggressive action". By warrior, I do not mean one who loves war or draws sadistic pleasure from fighting or bloodshed. There is a difference between a warrior and a brute. A warrior is a protector... who stands tallest when they are protecting and defending. Now those words above were actually from the book titled "Tender Warrior" which was written by Stu Weber, a Vietnam Special Forces veteran who went on to become a chaplain. Adam Brown was reading that book during his 2010 deployment to Afghanistan. More on Adam down the road. |
"Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves"