Sabbath, 11/22/08, 10:05 AM EST USA
I have always wondered what the phrase "the good fight" meant. It struck me odd that God was saying we should actually fight. Of course this isn't true. I realized that almost immediately after beginning my wondering about the phrase. We are to be obedient to God - i.e. we are to be good. Love God; love your neighbor as yourself. So that bit was clear (albeit difficult to fulfill to say the least).

But what about the 'fight' bit? Well, we are "fighting" against evil. I.e. we are struggling to be obedient. We are struggling not to sin against God. So was that it?

Keeping the "good fight" means: we are to not chase the world after riches, power, or the flesh.

But was that the final interpretation? It can be, but then I just realized it is also applied to our own lives - even when we are (apparently) not afflicted, or under some temptation. I.e. it is with us no matter what we are doing - even the "simple", and "little" things.

So I am not adding anything to God's Holy Word. Indeed I am seeing it in a broader context. So this is nothing new. What I realized is that we are to utterly and completely let go of the world.

Here's a good example: when I play online checkers (clearly a "simple" and "little" thing) I want to win the game. Well, with this new, broader, understanding I realize that is also the same as all the other temptations. Before this I thought it was an "insignificant" matter. It isn't. It is one and the same. This temptation, to win the game, is a subtle difference between the overt temptation of becoming rich or famous, and winning at an insignificant checkers game. Nonetheless, it is the same - both tempt us (me) to chase the world, to desire to have the world. And so now I see that we are to let go of the entire world, even down to the level of playing an inconsequential child's game.

Thus, keeping the "good fight" means:

1. we are to not chase the world after riches, power, or the flesh.
2. we are to not expect even the most trivial of things (winning at games), and
3. we are to not want things (to win a game).

I apologize if this sounds confusing, but I do play many games to entertain myself. I always want to win at the game - and now I realized I shouldn't even want that. I should only want God's Will to be done on earth, as it is in Heaven.